Turpan, Xinjiang: A romantic journey along the ancient camel trail

Author: Hao Tianyao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Turpan, anciently known as Gushi, was a vital hub on the Silk Road, located in the central part of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, bordering Urumqi to the north across the Tianshan Mountains. With a long history and breathtaking beauty, Turpan has been the political, economic, and cultural center of China's western region and a key Silk Road city since the Han Dynasty. It was named Turpan during the Ming Dynasty and established as the Turpan Subprefecture after Xinjiang was unified by the Qing Dynasty. In December 1984, it was approved by the State Council to be upgraded from a county to a city. The city covers an area of 15,738 square kilometers. It is home to 24 ethnic groups, including Uyghurs, Han, Hui, Kazakhs, Russians, Manchus, Zhuang, and Miao, among which the Uyghurs account for 71% of the population.
Turpan is situated in the Turpan Basin and is famously known as the "Fire Valley" due to its unique climate. Its distinctive weather conditions make it a prime producer of fruits like grapes and watermelons, earning it the reputation of the "City of Grapes." Among them, the seedless white grapes of Turpan are renowned both domestically and internationally. The raisins made from these grapes are prized worldwide for their high sugar content, rich vitamin C, and vibrant green color, ranking them as a rare gem among grape varieties.
Beyond its fragrant grapes and melons, unique landscapes, and ethnic customs, Turpan boasts numerous historical and cultural attractions. There are 14 key cultural relic protection units at the national and regional levels. The ancient cities of Gaochang, Jiaohe, and the Old City, which have withstood over two millennia of, the murals of the Beziklik Thousand-Buddha Caves that bear the marks of time, the Astana Ancient Tombs Cluster housing mummies thousands of years old, the uniquely structured Islamic tower of Sultan's Tomb, the mythical Flaming Mountains from Journey to the West, the magnificent underground irrigation system of the Karez, the enchanting love songs of grape girls in the vineyards, the distinctive atmosphere of the "bazaar," the vibrant Uyghur folk dances under the grapevines, and the world-famous fossil of the giant rhino dating back 24 million years—these treasures make Turpan a paradise of ancient cultural heritage and a natural and historical museum that combines the "Fire Valley," "Wind Valley," "Sand Valley," and "Oasis."
Turpan has over 70 ancient cultural relics, including primitive sites, ruins of ancient cities, tombs, grottoes, beacon towers, and rock paintings, with five of them designated as national key cultural relic protection units. Countless artifacts have been unearthed, though precise numbers are difficult to ascertain. Many have dispersed overseas, preserved in museums in Germany, Japan, Russia, the UK, India, North Korea, the US, and other countries. Among these, silk textiles representing the Silk Road and ancient documents of great historical value are particularly famous.
Xinjiang's unique Karez system is especially prominent in Turpan, with over 1,100 such systems spanning more than 5,000 kilometers. This highly specialized irrigation method was developed to minimize evaporation. Locals dig underground channels to guide water, watching it flow gently through dark tunnels. It is said that the longest Karez stretches 8 kilometers, with as many as 300 ventilation wells dug, a truly arduous undertaking! Thus, the Karez is the lifeblood of Turpan, and indeed of Xinjiang. Interestingly, Karez systems are distributed along the ancient Silk Road, including Iran, Turkmenistan, and Xinjiang, Gansu, and Shaanxi in China. It is almost certain that they are related to the Silk Road. As for the origin of this technology—was it from the West, the Central Plains, or locally? Theories vary, but Turpan is the most likely candidate.