Top Things to See in Turpan

Are you looking for where to visit in Turpan? Turpan, known as " The Land of Fire". Temperatures reach over 120 degrees in summer and the area is often referred to as China’s Death Valley. Turpan, the stop on the ancient Silk Road is located in the inhospitable deserts of the Tarim Basin in China’s Xinjiang Province, about 90 miles from the provincial capital Urumqi.

Turpan is a depression, it is second largest around the world, that is actually located about 500 feet below sea level. The discovery of fertile soil and ground water here popularized the city as an oasis and its been site of human habitation for well over 2,000 years.

It is one of stops along the ancient silk road, if you dig one layer deeper (pun intended), you learn that it is known locally primarily for the ingenious underground irrigation tunnels dug there in antiquity and maintained for centuries. It’s also famous regionally for grapes, turned into raisins, grown there as a result.

When the tourists come to Turpan, they want to know the history of ancient silk raod and visit some famous attractions, such as the Flaming Mountain, Thousand Buddha Caves, Gaochang Ancient City, grape valley etc. 

Top tourist attractions in Turpan as below:

Gaochang Ancient City
Gaochang Ancient City is grand in scale and spectacular. Covering an area of 2 million square meters, it is the largest ancient city site in the ancient western regions. In 1961, Gaochang ancient city was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit. The ancient city of Gaochang is praised as "a replica of Chang" an as far away as the western regions".The well preserved ancient ruined city built of mud with history of over 2000 years receives thousands of tourists daily. It is one of most famous tourist spots in Turpan.

Information
Location:Tumogou River Delta Sanbao Township, Turpan City
Entrance Fee: 70CNY
Opening Hours: 8:00AM-21:00PM
How to get there:
1)Take Buses from Turpan city center to Gaochang Ancient City, you need to use local motorcycle to the scenic area; 2)Take taxi

Grape Valley
Grape Valley is one of most popular places in Turpan. As Turpan is known as the "Land of Fruits", especially grapes. Turpan grape valley has become a unique tourist spot where visitors come to get refreshed and enjoy the different varieties of grapes. This highly cultivated green valley is located between the famous flaming mountains, about 10km north of the Turpan. The history of growing grapes is more than 3000 years. And the grape valley is famous for a variety of fruits, not only the grapes but also apricot, pear, melon and peach. And the fruits in this valley are actually sweeter than the others Areas of Xinjiang. July & August is the most busiest time during the year since it's the harvest time for grapes.

Information
Location: About 10km north of the Turpan
Entrance Fee: 60CNY
Opening Hours: 8:00AM-21:00PM
How to get there: 1) Take bus No.5 to the Grape Valley from Turpan city center. 2) Take a taxi to the Grape Valley,it costs around 20CNY.

Karez Well
Karez Well is one of UNESCO World Heritage sites in China.It is a special irrigation system in desert areas. There are over 1100 karez well with a total length of about 5000 kilometers in Turpan since it's hottest city in China and known as "Fire State". It is one of three major man-make projects in China, the others are China Great Wall & Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It is suitable for foothills and alluvial Areas, mainly for intercepting underground diving for farmland irrigation and residential water use. As an ancient irrigation system, the Karez well system has ever played a very important role in the daily life and in the production of the people in Turfan area. It is reflect ancient people’s diligence and intelligence. The Karez Well regared as the life source of Turpan.

Information
Location: About 6KM from Turpan City
Entrance Fee: 40CNY
Opening Hours:10:00AM-21:00PM
How to get there: 1) visitors can get the Karez Water System Folkways Center by bus.; 2) Take taxi from Turpan city;3) Take city bus No. 1,No.101& No.102 from downtown to reach Karez Well Scenic Area

Jiaohe Ancient Town
Jiaohe Old Town was built 2,300 years ago and its ruins are located along the Silk Road. It is the oldest and most well-preserved native building city in the world. It is also the most complete urban relic preserved in China for more than two thousand years. The Anxi Capital Protectorate, the highest military and political organization in the Western Tang Dynasty, was first located in Jiaohe Old Town. In 1961, it was listed as a national key cultural relic protection unit.

Information
Location: Located in the Yaernaizi Valley,Yar Township, 10 kilometers west of Turpan city
Entrance Fee: 70CNY
Opening Hours: 9:00AM-20:00PM
How to get there: 1)Take city bus No.1 & No.101 from Turpan city to Yaer County, then take the local motorcycle to Jiaohe Ancient Town; 2) Take taxi from Turpan to Jiaohe directly.

The Flaming Mountain
Flame Mountain is the most famous scenic spot in Turpan. It is located in the northern margin of Turpan Basin and the northern route of the ancient Silk Road. The Flaming Mountains are the hottest places in China. The red sandstone gives the impression of flare in contact with rays of light, all under a blazing sun. It offers stunning view despite the sweltering heat of the premises.

Information
Location: About 10KM from Turpan City
Entrance Fee: 45CNY
Opening Hours: 8:00AM-21:00PM(peak season); 10:00AM-18:30PM(low season)
How to get there:
1) Take bus from Turpan Bus Station to The Flaming Mountain, it takes around half an hour. 2) Take taxi from Turpan; 3) Use the priavte transfer service

Emin Minaret/Su Gong Pagoda
The Emin Minaret or Su Gong Pagoda is the tallest minaret in China, it was built in 1777 during the Qing Dynasty. In order to commemorate the general Emin Khoja and patriot who defended unifying China throughout his life,hence its name "Emin." It is the largest ancient tower in Xinjiang as well as the only Islamic old tower among China's one hundred famous towers. This large mosque can accommodate up to 1,000 people. It is one of the primary attractions in Turpan city.

Information
Location: The minaret is 3km southeast of the centre of Turpan
Entrance Fee: 30CNY
Opening Hours: 8:00AM-21:00PM(peak season); 10:00AM-18:30PM(low season)
How to get there:
1)Take city bus No.1 from Turpan City and get off at Dazhai Road Station with a 900m walking distance; 2)Take taxi; 3)Biking or strolling is a fun way to get here when the weather isn't too hot.

Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves
The Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves which is a complex of Buddhist cave grottos along the silk road. The history can be dated from the 5th to 14th century between the cities of Turpan and Shanshan. It's very close to the Flaming Mountains, and most of the surviving caves date from the West Uyghur kingdom around the 10th to 13th centuries.

Information
Location: Shenjin County, Turpan City. About 45km from Turpan city.
Entrance Fee: 40CNY
Opening Hours: 8:00AM-21:00PM(peak season); 10:00AM-18:30PM(low season)
How to get there: Use priavte transfer service is the best way to visit the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves from Turpan city.