East of Hami, a wind-eroded landscape of pinnacles, arches, ridges, and corridors occupies an area of several square kilometres. Known locally as the Ghost City (鬼城), the formation results from centuries of wind carving at soft sedimentary rock layers, producing shapes that can resemble towers, animals, and ruined buildings at certain angles and light conditions. The effect is strongest in late afternoon, when the low sun turns the pale rock orange and the shadows deepen the apparent structure of the formations.
The site is less visited than the more famous Ghost City at Urho near Karamay, which means you are less likely to share it with tour buses. The landscape around the approach is itself interesting — flat angular hills with little vegetation, interrupted by the occasional flash of desert poplar in dry river beds. A hired vehicle from Hami takes about an hour each way; there is no public transport to the site. Entry is charged.