The Urho ghost city lies in the Junggar basin northwest of Karamay, on the edge of the Gurbantunggut desert. The name is a translation of the Chinese term for such places, and it describes the effect exactly: a field of wind-eroded rock formations that, seen at a distance, looks like a ruined city of towers, walls, streets and courtyards.
What yardangs are
These formations are yardangs, a landform produced by wind erosion. Layers of soft sedimentary rock, laid down in an ancient lake bed, were exposed after the lake dried and the ground was uplifted. The prevailing wind, carrying sand, then cut long parallel ridges and deep intervening troughs into the rock, sculpting the softer beds faster than the harder ones. The result is a landscape of aligned ridges and gullies, and the individual masses are further carved into shapes that resemble towers, arches, animals and human figures, which is why so many of them have been given fanciful names.
The experience
The site is large, and visitors either drive through it on the road that runs between the formations or walk on marked paths to particular viewpoints. The scale is impressive: ridges run for hundreds of metres and rise tens of metres above the troughs, and the ground between them is gravel and sand. The colours change through the day, from pale yellow at midday to deep orange at sunset, and the formations cast long shadows that make them look their most architectural. Because the rock is soft, it erodes quickly and the shapes change from year to year.
The name and the wind
The ghost city name comes from the sound. The troughs between the ridges channel the wind, which at certain speeds produces a low howl or moan, and at night, in a landscape with no vegetation and no other sound, this is genuinely eerie. The claim is well established in local folklore and it is not hard to believe once you have heard it.
Practical notes
The site is about a hundred kilometres from Karamay and is usually reached by car, often as a stop between Urumqi and the Kanas or Altai region. There is an entrance fee and an internal shuttle in some seasons. Conditions are harsh: summer daytime temperatures are very high, there is no shade, and the wind can be strong. Bring water, sun protection, a hat and a windproof layer, and go in the late afternoon for the best light and the worst heat avoided. Do not leave the marked areas, as the terrain is easy to get lost in and the surface is unstable in places.
