A. Sutherland – AncientPages.com – Jiaohe (in Chinese: ‘where two rivers meet’) is considered one of China’s oldest, largest, and best-preserved earthen cities.
It was built 2,300 years ago, and its ruins are located along the Silk Road in the Yaernaizi Valley, 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) west of Turpan in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China.
Ruins of Jiaohe, a city where all the buildings were dug from earth and wood was rarely used. Credits: China Tour Guide
As wood was rarely used, all its buildings were constructed from the earth. People dug houses and rooms downward from the ground and built them with dried bricks.
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