Barkol Ancient City
巴里坤古城
The seat of the Qing-era Zhenxi Prefecture, where the rammed-earth walls of the Han City and Manchu City still stand. Temples and old streets preserve the look of a garrison and farming hub on the Western Regions frontier.
Barkol was the administrative seat of Zhenxi Prefecture in the Qing dynasty. Under the Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors, the Han City and the Manchu City (Huining City) were built in turn, forming a twin-city layout. Large stretches of rammed-earth wall and gate remains can still be seen. Restored temples inside the county town, including Dizang Temple and Xiangu Temple, sit alongside old streets where Han and Kazakh cultures blend, earning Barkol the saying 'the most temples in Xinjiang.' Barkol shehuo festival customs and Han folk traditions are also well preserved. The ancient city overlaps with the county town and can be explored on foot or by bike, and it is often visited in the same day as Barkol Lake and the grasslands.
Opening hours
All day (temple about 10:00–19:00)
Nearby sights
- Dizang Temple (Barkol)
- Lanzhouwanzi & Xiheigou Sites
- Barkol Grassland
- Dahe Ancient City
- Songshutang
- Barkol Lake
- Dongheigou Site
- Tianshan Temple (East Tianshan Scenic Area)