Hami: Tianshan, Populus euphratica, and Ghost City (Part 2)

As an important town on the northern route of the Silk Road, Hami is home to many Silk Road cultural sites, mainly featuring Buddhist art. The Xiaonanhu Pagoda in Yizhou District is the most accessible. The 12-meter-high Tang Dynasty pagoda's murals have disappeared, but the base and body of the pagoda remain intact. The Wubao Tombs have unearthed Caucasian mummies, believed to have migrated from Europe. In the Hami Ghost City, the Aisikaier Ancient Fortress, built on the Yadan landform, was once a post station on the ancient Silk Road. If you want to visit ancient cities, the Manhan Ancient City in Barkol is a must-see. The Manhan Ancient City consists of the Han City, built in the ninth year of the Yongzheng period, and the Man City, built in the thirty-seventh year of the Qianlong period. Today, 20,000 people still live here. After visiting, don't miss the Dizang Temple and Xiangu Temple in Barkol. The Dahetang City in the center of the Barkol Basin is the largest Tang Dynasty city site in Hami, while the Lapuqiaoke City in Wubao Township is the remains of the Eastern Han Dynasty Yiwutun City and the Tang Dynasty Nazhi County. Forget about the Tianshan Mountains on the Urumqi group tour and the snow-capped peaks in Ili that can only be viewed from afar. In Hami, you can get up close to the Tianshan Mountains, including the Kerluk Glacier at the foot of the 4,886-meter-high Tomurti Peak, a virgin peak in the mountaineering world. The Eastern Tianshan Mountains in Hami offer a variety of landscapes. Miaergou was once the site of the Hami King's palace. Baishitou is a resort area consisting of forests and pastures. The ancient trees in Hanqigou make it the perfect summer retreat. Songshutang is a great place for skiing. Nearby, you can find the only Tianshan Temple in Xinjiang and the Mingsha Mountain, where you can go sand sliding. For photography enthusiasts and adventurous travelers, the first choice should be the Hami Ghost City, known locally as Sulumuhake. Among the many ghost city attractions in the northwest, the Hami Ghost City is the most low-key, but that doesn't mean it's not fun. Houwa Mountain in Qincheng Township has no monkeys, but the various strange rocks will leave you lingering. Naomaohu in Yiwu County doesn't actually have a lake, but it's an oasis where late-ripening Hami melons are grown. If you visit in autumn, the highlight is naturally the 400,000 mu of primitive Populus euphratica forest. Apart from the city center of Yizhou District, the attractions in other areas of Hami are somewhat scattered. Self-driving travelers can connect Hami with Turpan and eastern Changji to form a large loop around the northern and southern parts of the Eastern Tianshan Mountains. You can reach Hami by high-speed train from Gansu or Urumqi, or by direct flight. Hami Yizhou District has four bus stations, with buses to various towns in Yizhou District, as well as Barkol and Yiwu. Some bus routes also stop at Tianshan attractions.