A vast walled ruin 40 km southeast of Turpan, covering more than 2 square kilometres of compacted earth walls, defaced temples and the brick stumps of what were once palaces. At its peak in the 9th century, Gaochang held perhaps 50,000 people; today only the outer ramparts, two large temple complexes and the central palace area still rise above the desert floor.
The site is too big to walk in one go in the heat; small donkey carts shuttle visitors between the entrance, the inner city, and the larger temple in the southwest corner. Allow at least two hours. Combine with the nearby Astana Tombs and the Bezeklik Caves for a full day trip from Turpan.