Turpan i located in a depreion with the area of more than 1000 quare kilometer of the eatern part of Xinjiang and ome 80 meter below the ea level. And nearby the Moon Lake, or Eding Lake in local language, the lowet water urface i 154 meter below the ea level, the econd lowet continental point in the world after the Dead Sea. Turpan i called the Land of Fire, which wa derivedfrom the intene ummer temperature, the highet ever recorded wa 47.5oC and in ummer the ground urface temperature i about 70oC. The Depreion i characterized by high temperature and rare perpiration, o it i hot but it i not wet, during ummer, although it i extremely hot, the treet are full of people.
The water from the urrounding mountain and underflow nourihe the depreion. And the local people developed a unique irrigation ytem: "Karez", by which water i introduced to the agricultural oai urrounded by deert. Turpan i famou for it grape produce. Once in Turpan Depreion, one ha a feeling that a if he wa in a land of grape, The Grape Gauge, about 8 kilometer in length, i one with grapevine grown on the lope of the both ide, and deep into the Gauge, there i a tourit reort, haded by grapevine and from late June to early October, cluter of grape hanging overhead and the mineral water flowing from under the rock make the reort a great attraction. In fact, the city proper itelf i one that i urrounded or covered by grapevine. Many treet themelve are vineyard or trellie with grapevine, together with the fruit tand the whole city i a mixture of the fruit orchard and market, ince 1990, the Grape fetival held in the city become a great attraction not only to buine people, but people from all over the world.WWw.hAOZUowEN.com
In hitory, Turpan wa the capital of ancient Gaochang Kingdom (from the ixth century) and later the adminitration reidence of Xizhou. It wa a very important juncture on the Silk Road through which the wetern culture and Chinee culture encountered and crahed and exchanged. A great many hitorical ite and cultural relic have remained. And the city i known a a “natural mueum of man and culture.
The major tour ite of the area of the Northern Part of South Xijiang centered by Turpan: the Flaming Mountain, the Moon Lake, Grape Gouge, Karez Sytem, the Ruin of ancient City of Jiaohe, the ruin of ancient City of Gaochang, Bezeklik Thouand Buddha Cave, Emin Minaret, Atan-Kharakhoja Tomb, Sand Dune Park, the Sand Plant Park.
Note:
1. Turpan 吐鲁番
2. the Dead Sea 死海
3. Karez 坎儿井（灌溉暗渠）