After breakfast at the hotel, we first drive to Gaochang and then on to Hami. Gaochang is situated at the foot of the Flaming Mountains, was founded in the first century B.C. and abandoned by the end of the 13th century.

Like Turpan, Hami is in a fault depression about 200 meters below sea level. Hami was called Kunmo in ancient times and Yiwulu in the Han Dynasty. Hami Prefecture has a population of 400,000 of which the Han nationality makes up 67 percent and other minority nationalities 33 percent. The city of Hami includes 24 nationalities in its population of 300,000. The Han nationality accounts for 66 percent, the Uygur 26 percent, the Kazak 2.7 percent, the Hui 3.7 percent and the other 1.6 percent is made up of the Mongol, Manchu, Tibetan, Xibe, Ozbek and Kirgiz nationalities. As the hometown of the Hami melon, the prefecture has been known far and wide since the reign of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Kangxi, when the Islamic king of Hami began to use Hami melons as gifts to the Qing court. After dinner you will stay overnight at "Hami Hotel" (3*).