- China Destination Guide

click to learn more about financial protection

China travel and tour destination Turpan

China Destination Guide - Turpan

Turpan is a desert oasis famous for it's grapes, it's scorching summer temperatures and for being the second lowest point on earth at 154 meters below sea level. At 150km east of Urumqi it was also an important stop on the Silk Road and it is this history rather than the grapes (!) which draws in the tourists these days.

What there is to see...

Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, the ancient dwellings of the modern day Uygur people. There are about 80 caves in good condition and many of these have murals inside.
Emin Minaret (right), built in 1777 and 2 km east of Turpan, is the largest old tower in Xinjiang built in honor of the heroic Turpan general Emin Khoja.
The Karez Irrigation System is up there with Great Wall as one of China's ancient achievements and Turpan would not exist today without its ability to collect water from the Tianshan mountains to feed this oasis.
Ruins of Gaochang, which was the administrative centre of this northwest region until the Ming Dynasty.
The Flaming Mountains (above) are famed for their colours at sunset.

Tours we offer that include Turpan

click for more information on our
China self-guided adventure SG-05

click for more information on our
China Tailor Made tours

Best time to visit Turpan

April and May as well as September and October are the best months but it is possible to visit year round although the winters are very cold and summers hot. As with most of the Northern Silk Road, rain is not a problem as this part of China is very dry.

Best reason to visit Turpan

What most impresses is the variety of sights to see is a truely exotic part of China full of Silk Road history.

Our last word on Turpan

An essential stop on the Northern Silk Route, Turpan is often a highlight for travellers. The sights around Turpan are spread over quite a distance so some planning is necessary to cover all there is to see.