Turpan Travel Guide

Turpan is a mostly Uighur city of about 300,000 that is quickly being developed as a “model” city in China. It is a Xinjiang travel highlight because the culture is still mostly Uighur, there are several historical sites and places of unusual natural scenery close by it, and travel to it is relatively easy because it is close to Urumqi and along a rail line and highway. The terrain itself is interesting because the city is in the Turpan Depression that is either the 2nd or 3rd deepest depression on the planet. The city of Turpan itself is at the edge of the depression to the south of Bogda Mountains. In the vicinity, you can see and climb big sand dunes without vegetation, and see the Flaming Mountains, the ruins of two ancient cities called Gaochang and Jiaohe, a tall minaret called the Emin Minaret that was built in 1778 , the ancient karez water system, and lots of fruit trees, grape fields and Uighur houses. more about Turpan »