Turpan : Around Turpan

................................................................................................................................................................................... Flaming Mountain ...................................................................................................................................................................................

The hottest point in the Turpan Depression is Flaming Mountain, a colorful ridge about 62 miles (100 km) long and 2,790 feet high (851 m). Temperatures exceeding 140 F (60 c) have been recorded here. The red rocks of the mountain shine like flames in the blistering midday sun. The hundreds of tombs of the ancient Turpan Cemetery are located here.

................................................................................................................................................................................... Bezeklik Buddhist Caves ...................................................................................................................................................................................

These 64 caves, 31miles northwest of Turpan, were carved into the Flaming Mountains between the 6th and 14th centuries. Bezeklik means "the place of the frescoes." Unfortunately, most of the caves were defaced by Moslems or plundered by European explorers. The buildings themselves and some wall paintings remain intact. Bezeklik is well worth the effort required to visit.

................................................................................................................................................................................... Ruins of Gaochang ...................................................................................................................................................................................

Gaochang was once the capital of the Uygur Empire and an important Buddhist center before being converted to Islam. Like Xian, the city was divided by a 3-mile city wall and moat. The monastery is the best-preserved building at Gaochang.

................................................................................................................................................................................... Astana Graveyards ...................................................................................................................................................................................

Located northwest of Gaochang, the Atsana Graveyards house the mummies of this ancient city. The oldest unearthed grave dates back to the 3rd century. Three of the more than 400 Chinese and Islamic tombs are open to visitors. Take a flashlight to see the painted walls and well-preserved mummies.

................................................................................................................................................................................... The Grape Valley ...................................................................................................................................................................................

15 kilometers from the city center, 8 kilometers long, half a kilometer wide and inhabited by about 6,000 people of the Uygur, Hui and Han nationalities, the Grape Valley has more than 400 hectares of cultivated land, 220 hectares of which is grape-growing area. Grapes growing in the valley are of several strains, including the seedless white, rose-pink, mare-teat, black, Kashihar, Bijiagan and Suosuo. There is a fruit winery producing several kinds of wines and canned grapes.

................................................................................................................................................................................... Ruins of Jiaohe ...................................................................................................................................................................................

The ruins of Jiaohe lie 12.5 miles (20km) east of Turpan on a hill between two dried-up riverbeds. The remains of the citadel, lookout gate, and palace walls harken back to the Han Dynasty when Jiaohe was the center of political life in the Turpan Depression. The ruins here are in better condition than those at Gaochang, with the walls of many structures still intact. It is rather eerie to walk up the stairs and peer through the windows of these ancient, abandoned structures. Buddhist figures are still visible in the halls of the monastery. The Mongols under Genghis Khan sacked Jiaohe. << Back to Turpan Info