The Turpan region sits in a desert basin at the southern foot of the Tian Mountains, at the very center of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Under its administration are two counties and one city. The region contains 24 ethnic groups such as Uygur, Han, Hui, Kazak, Russian, Manchu, Zhuang, and Miao, with a total population of 559,000, of which the Uygurs account for 71 percent. Turpan City, seat of the administrative agency, is 182 kilometers away from Urumchi based on highway distance.

Turpan has a continental desert climate. The region has the forest area of 70,000 hectares and a pastureland area of 76.82 hectares. The volumes of its surface and underwater resources are 5.66 hundred million and 7.06 hundred million cubic meters respectively.

The rare animals are the snow cock, snow leopard, Mongolian gazelle, and wild camel , while the medicinal plants mainly are Angelica sinensis, Ephedra sinica, licorice, Saussurea involucrate, tattooing sugar, grape, and sacsaoul.

The main mineral resources are coal, oil, iron, natural gas, salt, gold, and mirabilite (crystal), whose compound reserves of kentite and sodium nitrate top all others in China.

Turpan -- Town of Grape at the foot of the Flaming Mountains

Turpan City, called Gaochang, Xizhou, and Huozhou (fiery land) in ancient times, is located in the middle of the Turpan basin in east Xinjiang, with an average altitude of 32.8 meters and a total area of 1.6 million square kilometers. The city is located 184 kilometers away from Urumchi, with a population of 244,500. The city is unique in landscape, numerous in ancient remains, and rich in mineral resources and native produces, and also tops all other cities in China in the hottest weather, lowest altitude, driest place, and sweetest fruit.

The area is the lowest and the hottest place in China. The mean temperature here all-year-round is from 12.1 degrees to 14.9 degrees centigrade, and in the sweltering summer days it rises up to 40 degrees Celsius, with a ground temperature as high as 80 degrees Celsius, hence the name of "Fiery Land."

Once an important strategic point on the Silk Road, Turpan has a long-standing history and numerous scenic spots and ancient remains. The Ancient City of Gaochang, the Ancient City of Jiaohe, the Astana Tombs, the Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves, the Sulaiman Minaret and the Sugong Tower, the Grape Valley, the Flaming Mountains, and the Karez system… All are under the state protection as key relics structures.

Turpan is known as a "land of grapes." The Grape Valley, 15 kilometers to the northeast of the city, is abundant in white seedless grapes, Mare teat grapes, Rose red grapes, and preserved grapes as well as grape wines, thus winning the place acclaim as "the sweetest place."

In Turpan, one can also visit the Karez system. The Karez, an irrigation system of wells connected by underground canals, is considered as one of the three great ancient projects in China, with the other two being the Great Wall and the Grand Canal . It is invented and built by the ancient locals to adapt to the natural environment in the dry region, and by taking advantage of the mountain slopes.

In Xinjiang, the Karez wells are mostly distributed in the Turpan Basin, where, at its peak, there are altogether 1,100-odd Karez wells totaling 5,000 kilometers in length, hence reputed as "the underground canal." It is a very delicate irrigation system composed of four parts: a vertical well, an underground canal, an aboveground canal and, small reservoirs. It is said the longest Karez can be as long as 8 kilometers, and the number of vertical wells can exceed 300.

As the life source of the Turpan area, the Karez is an ingenious creation of the underground irrigation by the ancient people in Xinjiang, which was later exported to the Central Asia countries and Persia (today's Iran) via the ancient Silk Road.

Another interesting place is Wu Daoling, near which there are two sand dunes - the best place for sand therapy. In June and August every year, those from both home and abroad who suffer from arthritis and skin diseases put up small tents on the scorching hot sand dunes to cure their diseases with sand in the area, to take advantage of the sand's exceptional curing effect.

In addition, the Aiding Lake, 60 kilometers away south of the city, being 154.43 meters below sea level, is the lowest place in China and the second-lowest place in the world, next to only the Dead Sea (-391 meters) of Jordan.

The Silk Road & China - Turpan Grape Festival held in August every year centers on trade and economic talks, integrating culture and tourism with internal and external trade, thus attracting more and more foreign and Chinese guests. The town of grapes is moving forward with its brand-new appearance.