A view of the ruins of the ancient city of Jiaohe

•  seen at sunset on March 7, 2007 in Turpan,
•  China. Jiaohe, built on a 98-foot-high loess plateau over 2,300 years ago, lies in the Yarnaz
•  Valley and is protected by the natural fortification of the precipitous cliffs. The city has
•  been a major passageway for communication between the East and West since the Han Dynasty and
•  Tang Dynasty, and an important section of the ancient Silk Road.