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Exploring the 2nd Lowest Place on Earth 🌏 | Turpan, China
Turpan Jiaohe Ruins: The Second Lowest Place on Earth - Silk
In this video I visit Jiaohe ruins, which are over 2,000 years old and in the Turpan desert, which is 154 metres below sea level. The second lowest place on earth! This town has to be seen to be believed; it was dug down into the earth and a key outpost on the ancient Silk Road.
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In this video Wilko Wanders visits the Jiaohe ruins, over 2,000 years old, in the Turpan desert, 154 metres below sea level, the second lowest place on earth. The site was dug into the earth and served as a Silk Road outpost. Wilko travels with a slow travel approach, aiming to connect with local people and understand the culture more deeply. He shares the history of the ruin and the desert setting, inviting viewers to experience the atmosphere of this remote corner of Xinjiang as part of a living travel story.
Turn on notifications to catch new videos, and follow Wilko’s mission to learn, grow, and connect with places and people during his journeys.
Wilko Wanders explores Turpan in northwest China, zeroing in on the Jiaohe ruins, an ancient complex carved into the earth that dates back more than two millennia. Nestled in the Turpan desert and sitting 154 metres below sea level, this location is presented as the world’s second lowest place on earth. The video invites viewers to see a remarkable Silk Road outpost that was dug into the earth to shelter, trade, and endure the harsh desert climate. Throughout the journey, Wilko emphasizes slow travel and connecting with local culture, offering genuine moments of discovery rather than quick highlights. The tone blends curiosity about ancient history with a traveler’s appreciation for the landscape, the ruins, and the stories of people who once walked these routes. By focusing on immersion and respectful exploration, the video aims to make viewers feel as if they’re stepping onto a quiet corner of a long, interwoven global past.
In this video Wilko Wanders visits the Jiaohe ruins, over 2,000 years old, in the Turpan desert, 154 metres below sea level, the second lowest place on earth. The site was dug into the earth and served as a Silk Road outpost. Wilko travels with a slow travel approach, aiming to connect with local people and understand the culture more deeply. He shares the history of the ruin and the desert setting, inviting viewers to experience the atmosphere of this remote corner of Xinjiang as part of a living travel story.
Turn on notifications to catch new videos, and follow Wilko’s mission to learn, grow, and connect with places and people during his journeys.
Wilko wanders along China’s ancient Silk Road, arriving at the earth-carved city of Jiaohe, a 2,300-year-old settlement buried into earth rather than built upon it. The city, sitting about 154 meters below sea level, stretches in a T-shaped layout across a plateau fashioned by natural rivers and dry desert heat. He notes how streets were carved into the ground, homes shaded for cooler air, and how the site functioned as both a bustling Silk Road hub and a strategic military outpost during the Han and Tang dynasties. The city’s natural fortress walls formed by 30-meter-high cliffs created a strong defense with a single entry. Wilko explores the warehouse district and the Buddhist monastery complex nearby, emphasizing how the Silk Road spread Buddhism and cultural exchange from India to Central Asia into China. He visits Sukon Minet, the tallest ancient minouret in China, a 44-meter sundried-brick tower linked to a mosque, and reflects on the multiethnic history visible in architecture. Tu York Village, damaged by a 2008 earthquake, shows resilient rebuilding in a living village that preserves Uyghur culture. The day closes with sunset views over mountains and a hopeful note about future visits when the site will be more vibrant and accessible. Throughout, Wilko emphasizes the ingenuity of ancient builders and the beauty of witnessing history in a desert landscape that remains a living travel story for those who slow down and connect with locals.
Wilko Wanders takes us along a stretch of China’s ancient Silk Road to Turpan, where the superlatives start piling up. He steps into the Jiaohe ruins, a 2,300-year-old city carved into the earth itself, sitting in the Tarim Basin and a striking 154 meters below sea level. This is not a city built with bricks but etched into earth, with roads carved into the ground and a compact, rammed-earth construction that adapts perfectly to the desert’s heat and dryness. Wilko explains the city’s unique layout, with residential zones to the north, government buildings in the center, and religious sites to the south, all connected by sunken streets and a natural fortress formed by nearby cliffs. He highlights how the site was a Silk Road outpost and a military capital, shielded by its cliff walls and the single entry point, which lent security and control in a wary desert frontier. The narrative threads through the urban planning that allowed the settlement to thrive in harsh conditions, including
Wilko wanders Turpan’s earth-carved Jiaohe ruins, a 2,300-year-old Silk Road city buried into the ground 154 meters below sea level. He reveals its rammed-earth
Explore the Silk Road’s Earth-Buried City in Turpan and Its Desert Mon
00:20 Wear light clothing, carry water, and bring sun protection to handle the desert heat while exploring the earth-carved city.
04:50 Allocate time to walk through the northern residential zone and central administrative district to understand how the city was zoned.
06:45 Respect the temple areas; photography may be allowed from outside while interiors can be restricted.
10:50 Visit Tu York Village in the shoulder season to observe Uyghur life and perhaps arrange a stay in a traditional home stay as rebuilding continues.
00:20 Wear light clothing, carry water, and bring sun protection to handle the desert heat while exploring the earth-carved city.
04:50 Allocate time to walk through the northern residential zone and central administrative district to understand how the city was zoned.
06:45 Respect the temple areas; photography may be allowed from outside while interiors can be restricted.
10:50 Visit Tu York Village in the shoulder season to observe Uyghur life and perhaps arrange a stay in a traditional home stay as rebuilding continues.
00:00 Intro to Silk Road route
00:13 Jiaohe ruins below sea level
02:01 Buddhist temple complex
08:18 Emmen minouret details
10:13 Tu York Village earthquake and rebuild
00:00 Intro to Silk Road route
00:13 Jiaohe ruins below sea level
02:01 Buddhist temple complex
08:18 Emmen minouret details
10:13 Tu York Village earthquake and rebuild
Turpanchina travel vlogXinjiangsilk roaddesert travelearth architectureunescobuddhismWhat makes Jiaohe unique?
It’s carved directly into the earth, making it one of the world’s most unusual ancient cities and a remarkable example of rammed-earth construction adapted to a desert climate.
