Turpan grape valley
3 min readGrape valley is located in Grape township of the city of turpan, about 15 kilometers northeast of the central city district of Turpan and is a valley in the western section of Huoyan (flame) Mountain known for grape cultivation.
Grape trellises have been erected on both sides of the stream and they are covered with grapes. The surrounding area is thickly covered with white poplarsinterspersed with grass, flowers and fruit trees that the local residents have carefully planted in rows on the gentle slopes.
Walking into Grape valley is like walking into a cool new world. Nearly a hundred grape vines the thickness of a bowl are on the cement grape trellises, which are densely covered in leaves and bunches of glittering grapes.
The people of Xinjiang say,”People praise the grapes of turpan, the musk melons of Hami, and the fragrant pears of Korla and the pomegranates of yecheng are the best. This saying mentions the areas where the four most famous fruit varieties are grown in Xinjiang and Turpan stands at the top of the list. The turpan Basin has a long history of grape cultivation and has a high reputation at home and abroad. Ancient records indicate that grapes and melons have been grown here for over a millennium. Over two thousand years ago Zhang Qian of the Western Han dynasty discovered grapes here on a mission to the Western Regions and spread the cultivation eastward. In the history of the ming dynasty: mission t the West, it is recorded, “There were peaches, pears, jujubes, melons and gourds, but the most numerous were grapes. The ancient Notes from the journey West records that turpan the most numerous and all of such fine quality that they are second to none.
There are 13 main varieties grown here, including seedless green grapes, red grapes, and Kashmir grapes. The shape of the grapes includes round, egg-shaped and oval varieties. Some are sparkling like pearls, some are bright ly colored like agate, and some are green like jade. Grape valley thus resembles a grape museum. Of particular note are the seedless green grapes, which have thin skins and tender flesh. They are juicy, delicious, and nutritious, causing people to compare them to pear ls They have a sugar content of 20 to 24%, surpassing that of California grapes and becoming highest in the world. Raisins made from the seedless grapes can have a sugar content of over 60%, making them tart, sweet, and delicious. They have a high reputation on the international market and are known agreen pearls of china.
In the central part of grape valley below the east cliff wall is a grape orchard covering over 50 mu in area. This is a major turpan tourist attraction for domestic andoverseas guests opened in 1982 following the government s institution of the reform and opening up policy. The orchard contains small bridges and flowing water, ancient towering trees, cool sweet fountains, ponds of limpid water, row after row of grape trellises forming green corridors, wide and tranquil green paths, clean and elegant restaurants and myriads of small stalls selling carefully made handicrafts and tourist souvenirs. The many bunches of ripe grapes within arm s reach are sparkling, transparent and fragrant. When the Uygurs perform their traditional dance under the grape trellises, young Uyghur girls enthusiastically invite guests to participate and join the fun Friendly hosts pick bunches of fresh grapes for visitors to taste.
Snow melt from Tianshan Mountains has been directed to flow through the valley and the sound of the trickling water through grape valley gives it a special spirit and at the same time waters the terraced fields on the two sides of the valley. Anyone who comes to turpan and doesn’ t try the sweet refreshing grapes of grape valley will never appreciate the cool side of the scorching Turpan basin.
