Originally settled in the 1st century BC, Gāochāng rose to power in the 7th century during the Tang dynasty. Also known as Khocho, or sometimes Karakhoja, Gāochāng became the Uighur capital in AD 850 and was a major staging post on the Silk Road until it burnt in the 14th century.
Texts in classical Uighur, Sanskrit, Chinese and Tibetan have all been unearthed here, as well as evidence of a Nestorian church and a significant Manichaean community. Manichaeanism was a major dualistic Persian religion widespread in the east and west between the 3rd and 7th centuries (St Augustine was once a Manichaean).
Though the earthen city walls, once 12m thick, are clearly visible, not much else is left standing other than a large Buddhist monastery in the southwest. To the north, adjacent to an adobe pagoda, is a two-storey structure (half underground), purportedly the ancient palace.
