Jiaohe City Turfan, Xinjiang
Jiaohe or Yarkhoto is a ruined city in the Yarnaz Valley, 10 km west of the city of Turpan in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. It was the capital of the Jushi Kingdom. It is a natural fortress located atop a steep cliff on a leaf-shaped plateau between two deep river valleys. This is a fragile mud city which I return to since it is the ultimate architectural ruin that tests every instinct to define a space out of virtually nothing. Tripods are banned so everything is hand held.
