D5 - Saturday 13-5-06 Turpan

Our train arrived in Turpan around 5.30am . It was cold in the morning. We took a bus (Rmb5) from the train station to the the town centre, 20 mins away . We checked into Jiaotong Binguan (Rmb80 per room) , which is near a bus terminal.

At the hostel building , we signed up with a local travel agency for a one day tour package ( private car with 3 tourists and 1 tour guide for Rmb200 per person to 1) Jianhoe Ruins 2) Sugong Minaret 3) Putao Gou - Grape Valley 4) Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves 5) Gaocang Ruins 6) Karez Irrigation Well 7) Flaming Mountain.

1) Jianhoe Ruins (Rmb40) - This is a an old dessert city built during the Hans dynasty as a garrison town to guard invaders from the north. We walked around the ruins of the old streets, main road and a monastry with Buddhist figures no longer there.

2) Karez Well - Some wells in Xinjiang were 2,000 yrs old. This underground well has crystal clear water to irrigate the barren farmlands in Turpan. The well was built on a higher ground so water can easily flow down without the use of a pump to the various village farmland below. Grapes are widely grown here and we passed by a grapevine yard where Uighur music, song and dance shows are normally held to entertain local visitors and tourists during the September harvesting season. We missed the fun coming in May - not the right timing ! However, you could buy dried raisins & sultanas at some stalls in front of building entrance.



















3) Sugong Ta Minaret ( Rmb30) - We did not enter but took a picture from the front entrance . This is a Afghan style mosque built in 1777.

4) Putao Gou - Grape Valley (Rmb60) - We supposed to have our lunch at the Grape Valley but changed our mind.

5) Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves (Rmb30) - Famous for its wall murals of Budhist figures and art. Nothing much to see inside except the outside earth building structure.










6) Flaming Mountain (Rmb40) - This is the hottest place in Xinjiang - over 45c . The Chinese classic fairly tale of "Journey to the West" made mention of this Flamming Mountain ( Foh Yan Shan ) and the Chinese monk, Xuan Zang and the Monkey God ( Sun Wu Kong ) passing through this mountain following the Silk Road trail to India. The various chambers inside the musuem have a number of Buddhist scriptures and wall mural on the monk and monkey god. At the building centre stood the tallest thermometer carrying a reading of the latest temperature of the day ! This place was like a hot oven !

7) Gaochnag Ruins (Rmb30 + 20 for donkey ride ) - This ancient city was built in the Tang dynasty (7th Century) . An important staging post on the Silk Road. The present ruins were the remains of the inner and outer city, palace and government administration area. As the place is vast , we had to take a donkey ride to visit all the major sites.

In the evening, we spent our time exploring the town area. Turpan is famous for the supplies of dried grapes. I took a picture pf a stone statue called "Grape Girls" in the town centre.

" Hottest and lowest in the world - Unbelievable ! Come to Turpan, the hottest spot in China - highest day temperature recorded was 49C ! Turpan is the world second lowest city, 154m below sea level, after the Dead Sea ! "