Things to do in Turpan

There were so many people visiting during the National Day holiday. 90% of the grapes had already been harvested; the remaining 10% were quite unique. However, the sightseeing bus service was extremely chaotic, with pedestrians everywhere and no order whatsoever.

Its core visual impact lies in its crimson mountains, which from a distance truly resemble a fiery dragon lying across the Gobi Desert. Especially at dusk, when the setting sun casts its rays, the fiery red of the mountains is completely ignited, creating stunning photographs. The awe-inspiring nature of this landscape is unique, and it is difficult for other parts of Xinjiang to replicate this extreme desolate beauty where "not a blade of grass grows."

The last stop on my trip to Turpan was a desert sunset tour. I ended up taking shuttle buses number one and two, which were quite a long journey. Instead, I ended up just driving around the desert, seeing all sorts of cars stuck in the sand and experiencing traffic jams. It was a bit of a shame that there was a fireworks display on National Day, so I had to make it to my next stop.

Jiaohe Ancient Village, a must-visit in Turpan, offers a glimpse into a thousand years of folk customs. The rustic earthen houses exude rich ethnic charm. Explore the Bayi residences and ancient sang dwellings for an immersive experience of unique Xinjiang traditional culture.

Tuyugou, including Mazar Village and the Tuyugou Grottoes, features charming earthen houses. The Tuyugou Grottoes are quite dilapidated, but their weathered atmosphere is palpable. A round-trip shuttle bus costs 10 yuan. Although it's only a little over 1 kilometer, 10 yuan is a reasonable price, especially considering the two-hour time allotted for the chartered bus.

It's worth visiting to learn about this important period of water conservancy development. I suggest consolidating the Kanjing area; there's no need to develop several adjacent industrial parks, as they're all quite similar—why break it up?

A long time ago when I visited Turpan, there was only one attraction related to the Karez irrigation system. Now, three have been developed: the Karez Well Park, the Karez Well Folk Culture Park, and the Karez Well Source. My chartered driver recommended this one; it's quite deep, but there's an elevator down. It's worth a look for basic information.

A very picturesque site to be visited during the trip to this region. Try to find all secret spots around the mosque for the best pictures ever :)

The Flaming Mountains (Kiziltag in Uyghur, meaning Red Mountain) are located in Gaochang District, Turpan City, Xinjiang, on the northern edge of the Turpan Basin, a crucial point on the ancient Silk Road's northern route. They are a national AAAA-level scenic area and a national geological park. The mountain range stretches approximately 98 kilometers east to west and 9 kilometers wide, with its main peak reaching an altitude of 831.7 meters. The mountains are primarily composed of iron-rich red sandstone and conglomerate, which blaze with intense red light and heat under the scorching sun, resembling a burning fire.

Upon entering, you'll pass a museum that you absolutely must visit; the electronic exhibits are fantastic. To tour the grottoes, you need to form a group. Each grotto has a guide who explains things very well, answers all your questions, and you can have quite in-depth conversations. However, like all the grottoes in Xinjiang, they were mostly excavated by the Germans and are now in the Museum of Asian Art in Berlin, Germany (how awful!).