The lush scenery of Xinjiang

2 min read

City life centers around the baazaar with its numerou with its numerous food stalls and goods for sale, and the public square, which deserted in the daytime, becomes a riot of colors, scents and comatose, many of Turpan’s streets are covered with grape trellises providing welcome shade. Turpan has long been famous for its grapes and was once renowned throughout all of Asia for its.

Now, most local families have a hand in the grape industry, either in the growing or selling them as they are or as raisins.

Because the Uyghurs are Muslims, there are many interesting mosques around Turpan. The most active is the City Mosque(qingzhensi on the city’ ) located 1. 9 miles (3 km) out of townon western outskirts. As goes for visiting mosques anywhere, shorts are considered disrespectful and women should cover up. Also, it’s a place of worship so loud or disruptive behavior is not appreciated.

Aesthetically more impressive is the 131-foot-tall (40 m) tall, 18th century Emin Minaret(emin ta), Built in an understated Islamic style in1778 by local ruler Emin Hoja, its sun-dried brown bricks are layered in different patterns all the way to its rounded top. There is an adjacent temple, used for services on Fridays and Saturdays, built around an open, shaded space. Only 1. 2 miles ( 2 km) southeast of the city, it’s reachable by foot or by bike. Another interesting option for exploring Turpan and the immediate surrounding countryside is to hire donkey cart for a morning or evening tour. Leaving the city, dusty roads soon give way to traditional mud-brick homes, irrigation canals winding through poplar trees that sway in the desert breeze and hordes of smiling children playing in the streets.