By Editor Han Yizhang

Turpan is a remote desert city in the far west of China, one of the lowest places on earth and the hottest place in China, where rain never falls and summers are scorching hot.

Location and the area

Turpan Prefecture, commonly known as the "Turpan Depression", 328ft. below the sea level, with a total area of 69,700 square kilometers, lies in the Turpan Depression at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains in the middle of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The city proper is 184 kilometers from Urumqi. Located three hours drive east of Urumqi, some 250 miles inside the Taklimakan Desert, Turpan, which has a long history, was once an important staging post on the ancient Silk Road.

Population and ethnic groups 

There is a total population of more than 400,000 in Turpan prefecture, of which the Uygur nationality makes up 72.9%, the Han 20.29%, the Hui 5.88% and other nationalities make up the rest. The city of Turpan has a population of 200,000, of which 71.2 percent are Uygur, 21.3 percent are Han and 7.3 percent Hui. 70% out of the 500,000 population here are Uygur.

What is special?

Turpan is one of Xinjiang's most fascinating cities, known for its strange landscape, wealth of historically interesting places, the abundance of fruits and the rich ethnic culture.

Turpan is most famous for splendid grapes. Every household has a ventilated barn on the roof, and some of the world's finest grapes are produced here.

Farming is a time-honored profession in Turpan, the famous "country of fruits" in China. As early as the 70 BC, large scale land reclamation was carried out. During the Wei and Jin and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, grapes were widely cultivated in Turpan which "overflows with wine". According to the History of the Tang Dynasty, "during the reign of emperor Taizong, Ye Hu presented to the court a 20-foot vine known as the 'Mare's Teat', with fair-sized purplish grapes." Ye Hu, in fact, was Yi Du Hu, the King of Gaochang in Turpan. When people in the interior still knew nothing about cotton, the History of the Liang Dynasty mentioned "Bai Die" (Levant cotton) being grown in Turpan. The Turpan area made a name in the world with its specialties -- its seedless white grapes, its Donghu Hami melons and its long-staple cotton.
The Turpan people have also developed a unique method of medical treatment -- sand therapy. In summer, colored parasols mushroom over the sand dunes. People bury their legs or waists in the scorching sand or lie on it with their ailing parts exposed for massage, heat or magnetic treatment. As they sweat, doctors and nurses make the rounds giving direction or passing fruits and food. Lumbago or sciatica sufferers often get noted results after a period of sand treatment.
 
What to see

Flaming Mountain, the artistically built Imin Minaret, the ancient cities of Jiaohe and Gaochang, the ancient tombs of Astana, the Beziklik Thousand-Buddha Grottos and the special underground irrigation system-karez are of great value and enjoying value. Besides, the folk customs such as folk dancing under grape trellises.

The city itself, despite the intense heat, has been made livable by the construction of vines and grape trellises, providing avenues of shade from the sun. The heat means that no one is in a real hurry. It is pleasant just to sit in the shade with a cool drink and watch the world go by.

(CRIENGLISH.com)