Xinjiang: Urumqi & Turpan 新疆
The Xinjiang Uygur (so-called) Autonomous Region is China's westernmost province, and known for having been part of the Silk Road and for its large population of non-Han minorities. The most populous are the Uyghur people, a Turkic ethnic minority that is mostly Muslim.
This large territory (almost the size of Alaska) is mostly barren, with only about 10% of it habitable, but the capital city, Urumqi, has over 3 million people. Urumqi and the nearby town of Turpan are full of sights that showcase the natural beauty and the historical significance of the region.
Climate
Xinjiang has a desert climate, meaning it is dry and very hot in summer. Xinjiang's seasons are quite extreme, with a summer high of about 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and winter lows of about minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit). Turpan has the most extreme temperature range of any part of the prefecture. Air pollution is quite severe in Urumqi, especially in winter.
Uyghurs
While Han Chinese make up the majority of Urumqi's population, there is a sizeable Uyghur population of less than 15% and many other ethnic minorities. The Uyghur's are very distinct from the Han Chinese in terms of culture, history and ethnicity.
Security
Periodic clashes between the Han majority and the Uyghur minority mean that security in Urumqi is very tight. There is a very conspicuous police and military presence throughout the city. For tourists, however, this does not pose any significant barrier to seeing the city's sights. It simply means that you should carry your passport with you to identify yourself if you happen to be stopped by a curious police officer, and be aware of where you point your camera.
Urumqi
Urumqi (literally "fair pastures" in the language of the Dzungar people) is the regional capital. This modern city was founded only in the 18th century. During the time of the Silk Road, it was of far less importance than the now much smaller Turpan, 200km southeast.
Urumqi is 800 meters above sea level, but the furthest from the ocean of any city in the world. The Gurbantünggüt Desert is north of Urumqi and the Taklamakan Desert to the south, but to the south and east are the Tian Shan mountains, which are clearly visible in good weather.
Urumqi's main attractions are Hong Shan Park, People's Park, the Xinjiang Museum, and the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar.
Hong Shan Park
Hong Shan means "Red Mountain" and refers to a sizeable rocky outcrop right inside the city about 1.5 km long, 1 km wide and about 400 meters high. This unusual hill of stone is Urumqi's most distinctive feature, and is the site of the very popular Hong Shan Park. There is a ride to the top, as well as steps, taking you to a Tang dynasty temple (admission charged) on the summit. A visit here is recommended for its panoramic views over Urumqi.
Near the temple at the top of Hong Shan Hill is the 10-meter Zhen Long Ta, or "Red Tower." It is one of the two Zhenlong Pagodas, the other being on Mt. Yaomo, 5 km to the southwest. The two towers were built not long after a disastrous earthquake and floods in 1785. The two adjacent mountains were thought to comprise the lair of the dragon responsible for the disaster, and building a tower on each was supposed to restrain the dragon.
A statue of Lin Zexu (1785-1850) on Hong Shan Hill commemorates the Chinese hero of the Opium Wars, who helped save China from an opium influx foisted upon it by Britain.
People's Park
People's Park is only 15 minutes' walk south of Hong Shan Park. Its biggest feature is its 19th century pavilion and the surrounding lake, which you can hire paddle boats in. However, the best reason to visit is to see the locals at play. People engage in a huge number of different activities here, from calligraphy to card games to dancing to tai chi to choral singing.
Xinjiang Museum
Xinjiang Museum is a world-class museum of striking, modern architecture inspired by Uyghur culture and with a collection of over 50,000 items. Perhaps the most memorable displays are those of the ancient mummies of Xinjiang. These are human remains naturally preserved for thousands of years, in some cases, by the naturally dry desert environment of Xinjiang. Most are from the Astana Graves.
The Museum is also a must visit for the insights it affords into the minority cultures of the region.
Founded in 1959, the Museum was rebuilt in its present form in 2005.
Admission to Xinjiang Museum is free, but admission is restricted to certain number of visitors per day. Therefore, bookings should be made in advance. Closed Mondays.
Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar
Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar is a huge bazaar styled closely on the concept of an Islamic marketplace. This is probably where Xinjiang's non-Han legacy is most palpable, with thousands of stalls selling food, clothing, souvenirs, and more. There is entertainment in the Theater that is part of the complex, and a Sightseeing Tower for a bird's-eye view of the surrounds.
The Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar is open every day, from 9:30 am until 8 pm, except the Tower opens at 10 am. Entry to the Bazaar is free, but the Tower requires a small entrance fee.
Heavenly Lake of Tianshan
The Heavenly Lake of Tianshan is a big, beautiful mountain lake about 2 and a half hours drive east of Urumqi, in Fukang. Although only about 50 km from Urumqi as the crow flies, the road is through mountain terrain; so, long and very convoluted.
Lake Tianshan is nestled high up in the Tianshan ("heavenly," or "celestial") Mountain Range, almost 2 km above sea level. The green/blue waters, dramatic, layered mountain slopes, and the ever-snowy Bogda Peak - the highest peak in the Tianshan mountain range - make for a truly heavenly sight.
This picturesque lake rightfully attracts large crowds for its charming scenery and atmosphere. The 13th century "Iron Tile" temple perched above the lake on the slopes going down to it is another beautiful sight. However, the Heavenly Lake of Tianshan is large enough to lose the crowds by simply going for a walk on the lakeside boardwalks meandering through the trees. The path even includes a foot swing bridge or two. Boat rides are also available.
The Heavenly Lake of Tianshan is part of Tianshan Tianchi National Park (Tianshan Forest Park).
The road up to the lake is a series of tight hairpins through majestic, craggy mountain terrain. The bus from Urumqi will drop you off at the park entrance, which is still about an hour's (steep) walk from the lake. But there are shuttle buses available for this final leg.
Turpan
Turpan (AKA Turfan) is an ancient city south-east of Urumqi, almost 200 km away by road. However, a trip to Urumqi simply has to include a trip to Turpan, which is doable in a single day, if necessary. The road between Urumqi and Turpan is mainly through desert, making for a generally flat, easy journey along good roads. (In fact, China today doesn't seem to have any bad roads!)
Historically, Turpan is more significant than Urumqi as an oasis and Silk Road city, even if it plays second fiddle today, with a population less than one-fifth of Urumqi's.
Turpan's main sights are the Jiaohe Ruins, the karez well system, the Emin Minaret, the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, the Flaming Mountains, Grape Valley, and the Astana Graves.
Dabancheng Wind Power Station
The drive between Urumqi and Turpan along Highway G312 takes you through part of the Dabancheng Wind Power Station, with its hundreds of gigantic wind turbines planted in the wilderness at the foot of the Tianshan mountain range. This is one of Asia's biggest windfarms, begun back in 1986 with a few turbines donated by Denmark.
Turpan Museum
Turpan Museum is a modern, well-presented three-floor museum - not as extensive as Xinjiang Museum in Urumqi, but definitely worth visiting. There is an overview of the history and geography of the Silk Road; certain of the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves are nicely reproduced here, which is especially enlightening in the context of having visted the actual caves; and the karez exhibit explains this traditional irrigation system very well.
There are Uyghur cultural related exhibits, such as traditional clothing, and mummies from ancient graves, although not as many as in the Xinjiang Museum. There is even an exhibit of life-sized replicas of dinosaurs reconstructed from fossils found in and around Turpan, and the skeletal remains of the massive species of rhinoceros that roamed here in prehistoric times. Photography permitted. Wheelchair accessible. Good English explanatory signage.
Entry is free. Visiting this museum is recommended at the conclusion of Turpan sightseeing, as it effectively brings together the various features of the area under one roof. Open 10 am to 7 pm. Closed Mondays.
Jiaohe Ruins
The Jiaohe ruins are in the Yarnaz Valley, about 10 km west of Turpan. Jiaohe was a unique city built on an approximately 30 m high rocky islet in the middle of a river. This provided the city with natural defenses even more secure than a wall. Jiaohe was an exceptionally long-lived city, founded in the second century BCE and lasting until its destruction by a Mongol invasion under Genghis Khan in the 13th century.
The rocky islet, about 1.6 km long and 300 meters wide, made for a very resiliant infrastructure, the main features of which are still clearly visible today. While clearly in ruins, much of it is in better shape than might be expected after 700 years of neglect. Many walls of old structures still stand tall, and the old temple still has traces of its Buddha statues.
The large, quite sophisticated Jiaohe Museum located near the ruins provides an insight into the old ways of life in the city.
The Yarnaz Valley, where the Jiaohe Ruins are located, is one of the hottest places in China. So, come properly prepared with cool, protective clothing, broadbrimmed hat, parasol, sunscreen and water.
Emin Mosque and Minaret
The Emin (or Imin) Minaret, two kilometers east of Turpan, is said to be the only Islamic tower of the many historical towers that dot China. This 35-meter high brick minaret is a unique blend of Islamic, Chinese and Uyghur, in its architecture and decoration. It was built by prominent locals in 1778 to honor the Uyghur chieftan, Emin Khoja.
Emin Khoja is officially styled as an archetypal "good" Uyghur who favored Han rule. In actual fact, he made the best of Qing martial predominance by seeking refuge under the victor's auspices from that other foe of the Uyghurs, the Dzungar Mongols.
The whole mosque, including the minaret, is beautiful in its grandeur and simplicity, with a nice harmony between round minaret and square mosque. It is a paragon of arid landscape architecture and well worth the 20-30 minutes it takes to see it.
Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves
The Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves are about an hour's drive east of Turpan. They comprise 77 caves cut out of rock in the cliffs of the Mutou Valley, just north-east of the Flaming Mountains.
They date mainly from the 10th to 13th centuries, when the Uyghurs were still Buddhist, before they were forcibly converted to Islam at the end of the 14th century. The main attraction of the caves, therefore, is their Buddhist art painted onto and carved into the walls. What remains of them has been damaged, mostly by religious-inspired vandalism (Islam traditionally prohibits images of sentient beings) and partly by the elements. Many were removed by European explorers and sent to museums.
For this reason, do not come here expecting to be wowed by ancient murals. There are only remnants of them, which some will find fascinating, others disappointing. Although only a few of the caves can be entered, the whole cave complex built into the cliff makes for an adventure into an ancient dimension, set in the grand Mutou Valley. No photography is permitted inside the caves.
Flaming Mountains
The Flaming Mountains, or Huoyan Shan, are famous for their appearance in one of China's greatest novels, the 16th century "Journey to the West" (known as "Monkey" in its English translation).
The "flaming" bit is from how the reddish sandstone they are made of is striated, shimmers in the heat and reflects the sunlight, especially in the morning and evening. In the novel, the Flaming Mountains get their name from the Monkey King having knocked over a kiln in heaven, causing embers to fall here.
There are dirt bikes for hire and camel rides, as well as statues here and there celebrating the legendary characters from the novel.
True to their name, the mountains are very hot. You can even buy eggs cooked in the naturally sun-baked soil here.
The visitor center-cum-museum that forms the tourist entrance to the Flaming Mountain area is large and well-designed, and contains useful cultural and geological information about the mountain and about the nearby Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves. It includes the Gaochang Hall of Fame (Gaochang being the name of the province that Turpan is a part of) celebrating locals of preeminence, plus the Japanese archeologist, Zuicho Tachibana (1890-1968), mainly in relation to the discovery and preservation of the Caves.
Astana Graves
The Astana Graves (AKA the Astana Cemetery or the Astana Tombs) are about 6 km south of the Flaming Mountains, and about 40 km south-east of Turpan city. Over 1,000 tombs of people buried between about 1,200 to 1,600 years ago occupy an area of approximately 10 sq km.
The graves are characterized by stone steps leading down to a sepulcher, where the mummified remains of the deceased lie. Originally they were buried in coffins along with coins (typically over their eyes and in their mouth) and replicas of everyday objects that it was posited they would need in the afterlife.
Usually only a very few tombs are open for inspection. The Xinjiang Museum offers a much more extensive overview of the contents of these graves, including their original, mummified occupants.
Grape Valley
Grape Valley is an 8-km long valley of grapevines in Turpan, which produces the majority of the raisins supplied to the domestic market.
Grape Valley is obviously a very well irrigated, green, fertile area making for some wonderful sightseeing. However, visitors' mileage will vary wildly depending on whether they are roaming freely or part of a tour group.
The place is full of innocuous tourist traps, including Uyghur family home visits, where the entertainment is concluded with a pitch for souvenir raisin sales. However, the rural scenery, complete with a tiny neighborhood mosque or two, makes for a memorable adventure if you are in control of your movement. There are some good restaurants here in Grape Valley.
The sight of the nearby Flaming Mountains over the vineyards is awe-inspiring.
The recommended months are the summer months, especially August and September, when harvesting takes place. Grape Valley is closed in winter.
Turpan Karez Paradise Museum (Kanerjing Paradise)
Karez simply means "well" in the Uyghur language, but in Xinjiang it refers to a water supply system virtually identical to the qanat system used further west, which originated in Iran. (Nevertheless, Chinese sources typically claim it as a Han invention.) Turpan's karez made Turpan the oasis town on the Silk Road that it was, drawing water from the Tian Shan Mountains and the nearby Flaming Mountains - a role it plays to this day.
The Turpan Karez Paradise Museum, just a little out of Turpan, is in Grape Valley. It gives visitors a close-up view of karez and how they work. There is a diorama and other displays showing how the system is constructed. The museum is built over an actual karez, called the Miyim Haji Karez, accessible down a spiral staircase. Once down there, you can walk through the irrigation tunnel. Much of it is distastefully decorated, but one section of the tunnel is in its original state. Best of all, it is still actually in use, providing water to the locals.
Being in Grape Valley, the Museum is surrounded by vineyards, and is almost as much about grape irrigation and cultivation as it is about the karez.
Transport
Transport around Urumqi is best done using the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service. These low-fare buses running in dedicated lanes allow the traveler to bypass the often snarled traffic.
Access
Air
Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport is only about 25 km by road northwest of Urumqi. It is a huge four-terminal airport serving dozens of airlines, and able to take jumbo airliners, making it a very well connected transport hub.
From Beijing to Xinjiang by airplane takes about three and a half hours.
Tickets for long-distance buses to other parts of China can be purchased at a ticket desk at the airport, and a shuttle bus taken to Nianzigou Bus Station where the buses depart from.
Rail
Urumqi Station (as opposed to Urumqi South Station) is a relatively new high-speed railway station and makes for easy, comfortable access to Xinjiang. Tickets should be purchased as far in advance as possible, as trains book out fast.
Map
See a Google Map of the Xinjiang attractions covered in this guide.
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