| Friend, have you ever explored the culture of the Western
Region along the ancient Silk Road?
Have you ever seen the spectacular and mysterious Flaming Mountain as
recorded in the Chinese classic"Journey to the West"? Or experienced
the colorful ethnic lifestyles and customs of the northwestern border
of China? Or enjoyed the richness and beauty of the "Grape Kingdom"?
This magical and fertile, ancient and yet young Treasure Land is the
world-famous western region city of Turpan.When we say Turpan is magical
it is because it has the 'high' of snow-covered peaks of the Tianshan
Mountains that are over 4,000 meters above sea level, and the 'low'
of the Aydingkol Lake which is 154 meters below sea level, -- the second
lowest point on earth; it also has the Flaming Mountain which is full
of fairytale wonder, and the scenic Grape Valley which is permeated
with the fragrance of fruit and melon; then there is the desolately
barren Gobi Desert where no birds fly over but dotted with oases;under
the surface there are the karez, a man-made wonder of irrigation system
in which water flows all
the year around. This place is a pleasant blend of 'land of fire', 'land
of wind','land of sand', and 'land of oases'. It is a museum of natural
georgaphy and landforms, created by nature, but perfected by man.When
we say Turpan is rich, it is because it has grape,Hami melon, and long
staple cotton which are well-known native products sold throughout the
world, and are the three treasures of the land. The salt, coal, and
mirabillite deposits are plentiful, and their future development prospects
are awesome.The Treasure Land is true to name. The residents of Turpan
have not only created a glorious history with their wisdom, talent,
and diligence,but they are also building a thriving, affluent and beautiful
Turpan today.We say Turpan is ancient it is because like Dunhuang, it
was another glistening pearl on the Silk Road. There are the ruins of
Gaochang and Jiaohe of the Han and Tang dynasties, the Thousand Buddha
Caves dug since the Jin and Tang dynasties, and the thousand-year old
dried corpses of the Astana tombs; and unique Islamic architectural
wonder of the Sugong Minaret, and the unearthed relics. Turpan is a
land that has the best of historical relics and ruins of an ancient
culture. The rise of the Chinese Dunhuang - Turpan Studies has opened
up a brand new path for the development and application of this precious
source of historical relics.When we say Turpan is young, it is because
as a city for modern tourism, it has only just taken its initial step,
much, much more needs doing and to be done, but the future is bright.
Today, the people of Turpan are in the midst of an opening-up environment,
and they are striving for the prosperity of the land and contributing
their all to its four modernizations. The Turpan people are ready in
a new way, and their arms are open to welcome from near and far, friends
who come to tour, to do business, to participate in cultural and scholarly
exchanges and research, and together with them, write a new page of
praise on the cultural traditions of the Silk Road.Prepared by the Editorial
Board of the XINJIANG, CHINA - Turpan Album.
Tourists visiting Turpan -- without exception -- have the desire to
penetrate through the mysterious veil of this ancient basin and to have
a taste of its enchanting ,unique, and exotic scenery and customs. When
one climbs a top the lonely yet magnificent Jiaohe with the sunset glow
still offsetting the background, or when one enters the ancient city
of Gaochang imbued with a solemn and stirring atmosphere, or when one
walks into the Bezkilik Thousand-Buddha Caves riddled with gaping wounds,
or when one admires the superb craftsmanship manifested in the Emin
Minaret, he will suddenly realize that what are being unfolded before
his eyes is none the less than a brilliant picture scroll of Turpan
history.
The ancient city of Jiaohe is located on a lonely island shaped like
a willow leaf about 10 kms to the west of the city of Turpan. It is
1,650 meters long and 300 meters wide. Steep cliffs surrounding the
city renders it a strategic point easy to defend and difficult to attack.
A thoroughfare traversing the city from north to south naturally divides
the city into two main parts: the East and the West. The northern part
of the city are chiefly temples and mosques. Thanks to little rainfall,
the ancient official residence, living quarters, pottery kilns, temples'
stupas,wells and streets can still be seen. According to historical
records, from 108 B.C. to 450 A.D. Jiaohe served as the capital city
of the former
Cheshi (a kindom there). In the first years of the Tang Dynasty (640-658
A.D.), the Commanding Office of Anxi, the highest military and administrative
authority of the Western Region, was stationed there. It was in the
latter half of the fourteenth century that this thousand-year-old city
was destroyed by fire.
The ancient city of Gaochang lies in Halahezhuo, a rural township about
40 kms to the east of the city of Turpan. Tourists today can still see
the towering city wall reflecting the magnificence of its heyday. The
layout of the ancient city is roughly an irregular sqaure in three levels:
the outer city, the inner city and the palace. At the foundation the
wall is 12 meters thick, 11.5 meters high with a circumference of 5
kms. In the first century B.C., the garrisoned troops of the West Han
Dynasty were stationed there to open up wasteland, and Gaochang gained
the status of a prefecture. In 450 A.D. the remaining force of North
Liang wiped out the former Kingdom of Cheshi, Gaochang was set up as
a temporary town. In 327 A.D. Gaochang was promoted to the position
of being the political, economic and cultural center of the Turpan Basin,and
in 460 A.D. became the capital of the Gaochang Kingdom. In 640 A.D.
Gaochang was included into the map of the Tang Dynasty which set up
the Xizhou Prefecture; under the Prefecture were five counties: Gaochang,
Jiaohe, Liuzhong, Tianshan and Puchang. From the middle of the 9th century,
it was the capital city of Gaochang Kingdom set up by a people called
the Huihe. In 1275 A.D. the nomadic noble named Duwa rose in rebellion
and laid siege to Huozhou (Gaochang) with a force of 120,000 strong.
The siege lasted for six months and Barshu Alte,the Huihe king of Gaochang
died heroically in battle. Consequently the city of Gaochang was totally
ruined.To the north of Gaochang is the famous Astana-Halahezhuo Burial
Ground, where archaeologists have unearthed tens of thousands of cultural
relics from over 400 ancient graves. Among the relics the most treasured
ones are ancient documents and superb quality silk fabrics.The burial
ground was in use around the 3rd to the 8th century. Those who were
buried there include: Juqufengdai, Mayor of the Gaochang Prefecture
during the Dynasty of Northern Liang, Zhang Xiong, a famous general
of Gaochang Kingdom, and Gaoyao, Vice Commander of the Belting Military
Region during the Tang Dynasty. The corpses of Zhang Xiong and others
have dried up but their hair and beards can still be seen and their
facial countenance still show their awe-inspring majestic bearing.The
Bezkilik Thousand-Buddha Caves are situated in the middle part of the
Flaming Mountian's Wood Valley. 83 grottoes are extant,among which more
than 40 have mural paintings inside them. The total area of mural paintings
exceeds 1,200 square meters. The mural paintings of the earlier period
of Huihe Gaochang are highly recommended for their strict composition,
bold and vigorous lines, and plump figures. They represent a continuation
of the painting style of the Mogao Grottoes typical of the Tang Dynasty.
The representative subject is predestined relationship as in such stories
as "The Child-Manjue's transformation". It is widely acknowledged
that this is the most important,best-preserved and most representative
art treasure in Huihe's Buddhist art.The Emin Minaret (also named Sugong
Minaret) stands to the north of the ancient city of Anle. It is the
most magnificent and majestic minaret of Xinjiang Islamic architecture.
It is 37 meters high, built of bricks and timber. Inside, the minaret
has a 72-step spiral stair that leads directly to the top. Eminhoja
was a Uygur leader of Turpan, and owing to his outstanding contribution
in upholding the unification of China,he was made a prince by the Qing
Court. In the 42nd year during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1777)
of the Qing Dynasty this minaret was completed when Eminhoja was 83
years old. His official residence was where what is now the Lukeqing
Townghip of Shanshan County, i.e.,the famous Liuzhong of the Han and
Tang Dynasties.In the recent years several surveys of cultural relics
and ruins have indicated that in the Turpan Basin there are a total
of 175 historical ruins which can be divided into a number of categories
such as: ruins of the Neolithic Age, ruins of ancient cities, signal
tower, ancient graves,grottoes with Buddhist carvings, rock paintings,
ancient mail posts, ancient ethnic buildings, etc. Thanks to the uniquely
favorable natural
conditions of sparse rainfall and dry weather, historical relics and
ruins both above and underground can be preserved for a very long time.Though
many centuries have elapsed, they are still intact and free from decay.
When unearthed, thc original colours were as good as new.That is why
Turpan is granted the title of a "natural museum".
A saying goes: "Anyone visiting Xinjiang without seeing Turpan
is bound to regret his incomplete tour of the Northwest."The Turpan
Basin is located in the eastern part of Xi~jiang. The Basin is 245 kms
long from east to west and 75 kms wide
from north to south. It covers a total area of 50,147 square kilometers
of which about 4,050 square kilometers are below sea level. The basin
slopes from the north toward the south, and the land has very strong
irradiation of sunlight. The surrounding high mountains make it difficult
for the heat to escape so this special geographic condition gives rise
to a unique climate environment which is dry and windy. In the summer,
the temperature at the center of the basin reaches 47.6 ~C with the
highest record of 48.9 ~C . The ground temperature is around 70 ~C ,
which sometimes reaches as high as 82.3 ~C . That is why in history
Turpan Basin has been called "the land of fire". A saying
goes that "on sand mounds eggs can be cooked, and on the rock,
cakes can be baked." There is a folktale about "a county magistrate
who had to do his office work with his body immersed in a tub of water
to keep cool."
The hot weather in Turpan is reinforced by dryness, and its strong winds.
Statistics shows that the average rainfall is merely 16mm, while the
evaporation reaches 3,000mm. Spring is the basin's main windy season.
Winds of force 8 or above is common.Even hurricanes of force 12 or over
is not unrare. Toksun County, located in the western part of the Basin,
has long been known as the "windy city".The Flaming Mountain
known far and wide resembles a fiery dragon winding from east to west.
It extends for 100 kilometers with the maximum width of 10 kilometers.
The Mountain is 851 meters above sea level and what is seen above the
ground mainly consists of arenaceous rock and red mudstone of the Jurassic
Period, the Cretaceous Period and the Permian Period. The colour of
the rocks is a brownish red and the mountain slopes are full of crevasses.
When the sunlight hits the mountain slope, the red is intercheckered
with blue resembling many fiery dragons. Wu Cheng'en, a Ming-Dynasty
novelist,
wrote a number of very interesting stories around the subject of the
Flaming Mountain, thus making the Mountain famous all over the world,
attracting an endless flow of tourists from both China and abroad.The
Grape Valley is a small valley of the Flaming Mountain. The Valley is
8 kilometers long with the maximum width of 2 kilometers, with a small
stream winding through it. On both sides of the valley are seen layer
upon layer of grape trellises
interspersed with flowers and fruit trees. Farmhouses dot the village,
and high on the mountain slopes are some "cooling houses".
In the summer the cooling houses are refuges from the suffocating heat.
They are the tourists' favorite retreafln ISPI
inclemently hot Turpan.The Aydingkol Lake represents the lowest point
of China. Its water surface is 154 meters below sea level, and the lake
bottom is flat with shallow water. The lake-bed is 40 kilometers long
from east to west and 8 kilometers wide from north to
south. The depth of water is only 1 meter at the deepest point. In the
western part there is still water which is bitterly salt. The rate of
mineralization of the water is as high as 200 grams per litre. As a
result of strong evaporation and condensation of the
years, there are in the lake bottom and nearby some nitre mines and
salt mines.
Because of the serious lack of rain and snow, Turpan Basin has since
very ancient times been relying on underground water irrigation. Thus,
karez, a marvellous water irrigation system, becomes a unique scene
in Turpan. The Karez is a system of skillfully drawing water from underground
by digging a string of underground channels. The karez system consists
of wells,
hidden channels and open channels. Wells are linked to hidden channel
which in turn is linked to open channel. The underground water is channeled
to farmland by both the hidden and open channels. The earth from the
dug wells and channels is piled around the well, forming small mounds
resembling craters of volcanoes. A bird's-eye view reveals many wells
forming a
straighttline which is a grand sight. What is more interesting is that
in the deep of winter the well's opening is warm with vapor,while in
the summer it is cool and breezy, and a traveler can cool off sitting
by it.Shifting sand of the years has formed deserts within the basin.
The Kumtag Desert lies to the south of Shanshan county with a total
area of 2,500 square kilometers. And the converging winds have brought
about clusters of sand hills in the shape of pyramids. The place has
also been developed as a tourist resort where visitors can have a full
view of the magnificence of the desert without actually venturing out
into it.
Through long-time practice, people in Turpan have discovered the fact
that the sand in the desert heated by sunlight can be used for curing
various diseases including rheumatism and arthritis. Every year when
the hot summer approaches, patients from everywhere come to Turpan.
They put up simply-equipped tents as shelter against the hot sun and
then bury the diseased part of their body into the burning-hot sand
as part of a "fire oasis sand-therapy" which is a combination
of thermotherapy,massage and magnetic therapy. The scene is very much
like sunbathing on a beach, which is a unique marvel of Turpan.
The Turpan Basin boasts of a large variety of geological and topographical
features and it is also endowed with very rich natural resources. In
"The Book of Hun -- Record of the West Region", there is a
description: "The land of the Cheshi Kingdom is fertile and beautiful."
In "The Book of Northern Dynasty -- Record of the Western Region"
Turpan Basin is depicted as where "The climate is mildly warm,
and the land is fertile. Rice and wheat can be harvested twice a year,
silkworm breeding is suitable, fruit is abundant, and rich in paint,
has is a kind of grass called the sheep*thorn on which honey is grown,tasting
good. There is a highly developed irrigation system. Cheshi also produces
red salt which is very delicious, an white salt as clean as jade. People
in Gaochang use white salt to fill their pillows, which they even present
to the imperial court of China as tribute. Grape wine is abundant ......
In the kindom sheep and horses are herded to obscure places to prevent
them from being robbed, and where cannot find, outsiders." These
historical records indicate that ever since very ancient times the agriculture
in the Turpan Basin has been highly developed and the salt mines have
long been explored and utilized.The total area of arable land in Turpan
Basin amounts to 700,000 mu. Farm crops consist chiefly of wheat and
sorghum.As there is plenty of light and heat resources, great day*night
temperature difference and little rainfall, the grape, Hami-melon and
long~staple cotton produced here are highly recommended in the world
for their excellent quality. Grapes grown in Turpan fall into more than
10 varieties, such as the Horse Udder, seedless White, Red Grape, Kashhar
Grape, Suo-Suo Grape, etc.
Since 1960s, 300 new strains of grapes have been introduced from abroad
for trial planting, thus substantially enriching the variety of grapes
in the Basin. Hami melon is another special local product of the Turpan
Basin, boasting of such fine-quality varieties as Crisp Red-Core, Black
Eyebrow, Honey Sweet, Paotai Red, Bag of Sugar and Golden Dragon. A
large amount of Hami melons are exported abroad and sold to other places
in China. It is reputed as the ~most precious fruit". Besides,
this famous land of melon and fruit also abounds with water-melon, pear,
apricot, peach, pomegranate, mulberry, fig, sand date,
etc. The bumper harvests of melons and fruits bring about a thriving
processing industry. The Turpan Melon and Fruit Company and Hongliuhe
Fruit Farm, the Shanshan County Fruit Winery, etc. have installed advanced
equipment from other places of China or from abroad by means of joint
management. As a result, the pure grape juice wines they brew are highly
reputed for their superb quality and mellow taste. Other products they
offer, such as grape juice, Hami melon juice and mulberry juice as well
as various kinds of canned fruits are also priced products. The raisins
of Turpan have long been enjoying the fame of "green pearls of
China" for their colour, mellow taste and delicious sour/sweet
flavour. Dried Hami melon, dried apricot, and preserved peach also demonstrate
their outstanding tastiness. All these products are favorites of the
tourists.Long-staple cotton is an important raw material for the textile
industry. The cotton grown in Turpan is pure-white with excellent spinnability.
80% of the cotton is up to the quality standards of Grade-1 and Grade-2
cotton, which is exported to Japan, the USSR and Romania, enjoying an
enthusiastic international market. The Basin is also rich in vegetables.
At the foot of the Flaming Mountain, the spring season arrives earlier
than anywhere else in Xinjiang and, therefore, the spring vegetables
grown there are on the market earlier than those of any other places
of Xinjiang and are sold in Urumqi and other cities. The Basin is surrounded
by large tracts of grassland on which sheep, horses, cattle, donkeys,
and camels are fattened.Along with the development of modern science
and technology, the abundant resources of Turpan are being further explored
and utilized.On the southern slope of the Bogda Peak there is a glacier
with a total area of 120 square kilometers. In order to make full use
of the water sources, reservoirs have been built, such as the Kokya,
Hongshan and Shengjin reservoirs. The water is also used to develop
fish farming. Initial survey indicates that the reserve of mirabilite
in the Aydingkol Lake reaches 25 million tons and that of salt 60 million
tons. These constitute an advantageous condition for the development
of the chemical industry. The Seven-Spring Lake Chemical Plant which
was set up in 1959 produces 50,000 tons of anhydrous sulphuric acid,
15,000 tons of sodium sulphate, 85,000 tons of refined salt; all the
products enjoy high quality and low cost, with an enthusiastic market
both at home and abroad. Salt pillow, which was used in the ancient
times as a tribute to the imperial court, is produced in the Salt Mountain.
The salt mine-bed is as thick as scores of meters, crystal clear and
suitable for carving artistic works and its artistic effect is similar
to that of ice carving. The Turpan Basin has considerable coal deposit,
too. Other metal and non-metal ores being dug include: iron, copper,
gold, manganese, petroleum, gypsum, limestone, expanded perlite, quartz,
marble, asbestos, boron, crude soda, and mineral water. Geological prospects
show that Turpan might be the third most promising basin for finding
petroleum next only to the Junggar Basin and the Tarim Basin. In the
Turpan Basin thermo-power stations, hydro-power stations and train power
stations spread all over. The inexhaustible light and thermal resources
and wind
power resources have a bright future for further development.
"Wear fur in the morning, but gauze at noon; hug the stove while
enjoying melons" is a popular saying in Xinjiang. The first half
of the saying depicts the huge temperature difference within the same
day, while the latter half is a description of what
one sees in Turpan. Hami melons and watermelons in Turpan can be preserved
until the following spring. In the winter, on melon stalls, a fire is
built for warming while the hawker sells his watermelon. When visitors
see this unique scene they cannot
but be attracted to sit by the stove and enjoy the melon. The total
area of the Turpan Prefecture is 6,728 square kilometers consisting
of Turpan City, Shanshan County and Toksun County inhabited by a population
of 460,000 composed of Uygurs,Hans and Huis. With the Uygurs making
up 70% of the population. Turpan City is the political, economic and
cultural center
of the prefecture and historically it was an important strategic spot
on the Silk Road. Today, Turpan is well-known as a city of grapes, equipped
with complete tourist facilities. The population of the city proper
is 60,000. And in the suburbs there are
grapevines, orchards, karezes, as well as ancient cities, ancient minarets,
ancient graveyards, thousand-buddha grottoes and ancient Islamic buildings,
spread all over. Turpan is a famous city with a long history, situated
in the northwest of China, Its
unique feature typical of the West Region and its colorful ethnic customs
are attracting an endless flow o[ both Chinese and foreign tourists.The
Uygurs and the Huis are believers of Islam, and they pray five times
a day. Each year they observe two important
festivals: the Lesser Bayram and the Corban, They strictly adhere to
the teachings of the Koran, and the convention of not eating pork. The
Uygur people are simple and honest, and they respect the old and care
for the young. The are hospitable and attach great importance to courtesy.
When guests arrive, the most senior person has priority of entrance.
The guests sit on carpets and young do not smoke or drink in front of
the old. When meeting their seniors, friends or relatives, they hold
up the left hand to touch the chest with the upper part of the body
leanding slightly forward, as a way of paying respect and regards.
Before and after the elderly people have had their meals as guests or
in their own house, they often stroke their cheeks with both hands to
make a "Duwa" (a religious ritual of blessing.) Sometimes
even after shaking hands with a friend, the old one
would also make a "Duwa". All the people irrespective sex
and age are fond of wearing small square hats bearing colourful patterns.
The patterns are embroidered bright and beautiful. Women are fond of
wearing long skirts. In winter they wear short coats over the skirts,
and thick underwear to keep off the cold. They love to wear ornaments
such as earrings, bracelets and necklaces. As they use vegetable dye
on their eyebrows beginning in childhood, so their brows are extraordinarily
thick and black. Young girls comb their hair into more than ten plaits,
looking all the more lovely. The Uygurs like milk-tea. "Nan",
one of their staple foods, is a bread made in their home-ovens. The
bread is dry and,therefore, can be preserved for a long time. Another
staple food is pilaf prepared with rice, lamb, carrots and raisins.
It is colorful and delicious. It is also a 'must' when entertaining
guests or observing festivals. Daily fare include hand-stretched noodles
and piece noodles. Barbacued whole lamb, shish kebab, baked stuffed
bun, thin-wrapped steamed stuffed bun and boiled lamb are famous foods
of local ethnic flavour.The ethnic architecture of Turpan has its own
style. In particular, the mosques and mazars (graves of saints), with
their domed roofs, demonstrate distinct features of Islamic architecture.
Houses built with wood and mud or with sun-dried mud bricks are the
traditional buildings of the locality. Entering a farmer's courtyard,
once can generally see a grape trellis, The houses usually have quite
deep corridors. Inside the room is a raised dirt platform floor, On
it is laid a felt mattress for sitting
or lying down. The walls are usually half-covered with fabric, and the
Uygurs are especially fond of hanging expensive rugs on the walls as
decoration. Many adobes with ventilation holes on all sides can be seen
everywhere. These are the traditional drying rooms for air-drying grapes.The
Uygurs are highly respected for their excellent handicrafts. Traditional
products include: felt rugs and carpets, silk fabrics, printed cotton
fabrics, flower-patterned hats, knives and high boots. Their folk embroidery
shows a strong local style
and ethnic features. In summer, women love to wear dresses made of "Atlas"
silk fabric. This is a unique Uygur creation with bright patterns and
sharp contrast of colours. Wearing dresses made of this fabric, the
women seem to become colorful clouds moving gracefully in the sky. Turpan
is also a famous land of song and dances. All the Uygurs, men and women,
old and young, are unexceptionally fond of dancing. Especially on holidays,
festivals, wedding ceremonies or welcoming parties, they would organize
grand parties to sing and dance, A very popular mass singing and dancing
party is called the "Mexrep". It is a combination of singing,
dancing and other folk amusements. At a mexrep men and women would gather
to sing and dance to their heart's content to musical accompaniment.
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