Inner Wall

Gaochang, Xinjiang

Gaochang (plan) is a double-walled city. The inner wall is seen here, looking east from the large vihara (previous pages) towards the inner city. The outer wall forms a rough square about 1.25km (3/4mi) on a side. The walls are 11m (36ft) high and 12m (39ft) thick.

The city's buildings and walls were made of pounded earth and mud brick, so they largely eroded back into the desert after Gaochang was abandoned and the water stopped flowing. All water was piped in; there were no wells in the city.