Located in the Yarnaz Valley 13 kilometers (8 miles) west of Turpan it used to be the capital of the State of South Cheshi, one of the 31 states in the Western Region. A historic book records "The State of South Cheshi made the city of Jiaohe its capital, which seat at the interjunction of two rivers, hence the name of 'Jiaohe' (the city of joining rivers)." Screened by precipitous cliffs, the city, built on a 30-meter- (98-foot-) high loess plateau is 1,650 meters (5412 feet) long and 300 meters (984 feet) wide.

During the Western Han dynasty, "Jiaohebi" (an administrative division) was established and from the period of Northern Wei to the beginning of the Tang, it became Jiaohe Prefecture under the jurisdiction of Gaochang Kingdom. Later, the Anxi Military Viceroy's Office, the highest civil and military administrative organ in the Western Region was set up here. During the middle of the eighth and the ninth centuries, Tibetans occupied the city. Afterwards, it was called Jiaohe Prefecture under the jurisdiction of the Huigu Gaochang Kingdom. At the end of the thirteenth century, it was destroyed in Mongolian aristocratic rebellions.

The dry climate protects this ancient ruin. The enceinte, temples and workshops, residential houses in the streets are still visible. A 350-meter- (1148-foot-) long, 10-meter- (32-foot-) wide road divided the city into the eastern and western parts. The road leads to a grand Buddhist temple in the north-central part of the city. Forest of towers in front of the temple remain intact, and the panoramic view of the whole city on top of the tower is amazing. In the southeastern part used to be office buildings and residences built of bricks and tiles. A magnificent, half-underground, two-storied complex is supposed to be the seat of Anxi's Military Viceroy's Office.

Buildings in this city have distinguished style that houses featured two-storied without windows and doors on the wall facing streets and the gates were hidden in deep lanes. The house was half-underground and caves underground served as rooms.

The city was brought under the protection of the state in 1961.