Jiaohe Ancient City Travel Guide ｜Traverse a 2,000-Year-Old Earthen Maze

🚪 **1. Basic Information at a Glance**
- **📍Address**: 6 km west of Yaer Township, Gaochang District, Turpan City (about 20 yuan by taxi from downtown, self-driving navigation “Jiaohe Ancient City”).
- **⏰Opening Hours**: 09:30-19:30 (summer visits recommended early morning or evening, surface temperature exceeds 50℃🔥 at noon).
- **🎫Tickets**:
- Adult ticket: 70 yuan (includes core area of the ancient city).
- Free/Discounts: Children under 1.3 meters free; seniors over 65 free; students and seniors aged 60-65 half price.
- **Avoid Pitfalls**: Shuttle bus (25 yuan) and Jiaohe Ancient Village (25 yuan) are optional; main scenic area is reachable by a 10-minute walk.

---

🌟 **2. Must-See Highlights & Photo Tips**
1. **📜Time Tunnel—Central Avenue (Ziwu Avenue)**
- The main north-south thoroughfare, once a Silk Road caravan route, flanked by high windowless walls with strict defenses!
- **Photo Spot**: Stand in the middle of the avenue to capture the deep ruins; wearing red/white long dresses makes photos stand out! Evening light casts golden foil-like shadows, instantly creating a “weathered masterpiece”📸.

2. **🕍Buddhist Temple Area · Pagoda Forest**
- 101 pagodas at the northern end, with the central Vajra Throne Pagoda remaining 8 meters high; at dusk, the pagoda shadows look like silhouettes—use a wide-angle lens to capture the sense of solitude!

3. **⚔️Underground Government Office Ruins (Anxi Protectorate)**
- Descend into an 11-meter-deep courtyard well, touch the rammed earth walls from the Tang Dynasty, and imagine Han and Tang soldiers guarding the frontier! Nearby is the mysterious “Baby Tomb” (entry prohibited).

4. **🌌New Night Tour Experience (2025 Upgrade)**
- **Light Show + Live Performance**: A 30-minute light and shadow drama at the Great Buddha Temple reenacts Silk Road history, with poetry projections decorating the ruins; advance reservation required.
- **Time**: Opens from apricot blossom season (end of March), best after 21:00 in summer to avoid daytime heat✨.

---

⚠️ **3. Pitfall Avoidance & Safety Tips**
- **🚫Prohibited Actions**:
- Climbing ruins, entering the baby tomb or dangerous well areas is forbidden (there have been falls).
- No toilets inside the scenic area! Use facilities at the entrance first, and please carry out your trash.
- **🌞Heat Protection Essentials**:
- Hat, sunglasses, SPF 50+++ sunscreen! Summer temperatures exceed 50℃, bring at least 2L of water per person.
- Recommended visiting times: before 9:30 AM or after 5:00 PM; sunset around 9:30 PM🌅.
- **🚗Transportation Reminder**:
- Hard to get a taxi back! Recommend chartering a car (about 200 yuan/day in Turpan city) or self-driving; parking is free.

---

🗺️ **4. Efficient Itinerary Planning**
- **⏱️Single Jiaohe Visit**: 3 hours is enough! Route: South Gate → Central Avenue → Government Office Area → Buddhist Temple Pagoda Forest → North Gate exit.
- **🚩Combined Itinerary (1-2 days)**:
- **Day 1**: Karez Folk Garden → Jiaohe Ancient City (evening + night tour) → stay in Turpan city.
- **Day 2**: Flaming Mountains (1 hour) → Grape Valley (3 hours tasting grapes🍇) → Kumtag Desert (sunset).

---

🍈 **5. Nearby Food & Accommodation**
- **😋Must-Eat on Return**:
- Turpan Night Market: lamb skewers ¥5/skewer, spicy lamb hooves, juicy baked buns!
- Fruit freedom: fresh grapes in Grape Valley ¥10/kg from July to September, Hami melons in Wubao Town sweeter than honey🍈.
- **🏨Accommodation Recommendations**:
- Budget: Turpan All Seasons Hotel (smart temperature control, near night market).
- Unique Experience: Grape Valley homestay (sleep under grape trellises, about ¥300/night).

---

💎 **Ultimate Tips**
- **📅Best Seasons**: Apricot blossom season in April-May, grape season in September-October; avoid sandstorms in July-August!
- **🎒Pre-trip Checklist**: ID card, comfortable sports shoes, moisturizing spray (dry skin!), motion sickness medicine, offline maps (weak signal in scenic area).

> **2025 New Rule**: Night tours require group or individual reservations with daily visitor limits! Extra light shows on weekends⏰.

Traverse the earthen maze, touch the heartbeat of the Han and Tang Western Regions—Jiaohe Ancient City awaits you to receive the epic carved by wind and sand! 🐫🌅