Emin Minaret: General Introduction

Emin Minaret, also called Sugong Minaret, is the biggest ancient tower in Xinjiang and also the only minaret among the top 100 towers in China. Emin Minaret was built by Emin, the Prince of Turpan, to repay the kind treatment of Qing Dynasty and also to express his sincerity to Allah. The minaret was built in 1778, and so far it has a history of more than 200 years.

The main body of Emin Minaret is made of grey bricks and earth. From the base with a diameter of 10 meters, the minaret tapers to an Islamic dome with a diameter of 2.8 meters. The minaret has on stories yet has 14 openings for ventilation and lighting which are located at various heights. There is an attic on the top where the marvelous landscape could be admired. Unfortunately, in order to protect the minaret, visitors are not allowed to climb to the top.

There is a Mosque right beside the minaret, which is called Sugongta Mosque. Sugongta Mosque is one of the largest Mosques in Turpan. It covers an area of 2,500 square meters and the worship hall can hold 1,000 people simultaneously.

Emin Minaret Travel Tips

Admission Fee: CNY30

Opening Hours: 08:50-20:00

Flaming mountains: General Introduction

The Flaming Mountains are so named because in the evenings the red clay mountains reflect the heat and glow of the desert and seem to burn. Situated on the northern edge of Turpan Basin, and stretching over 100 kilometers long and 10 kilometers wide, this is an intensely hot part of the desert without a single blade of grass to be seen for miles. In the severe heat of July, the mountains seem to be on fire in the burning sun and become a purplish-brown color. Hot stream rises upwards from the burning cliffs and it is no surprise that this is where the hottest temperatures inChina ever were recorded.

Flaming mountains Travel Tips:

Admission Fee: CNY40

Opening Hours: 10:00-19:00

Karez Irrigation System: General Introduction

Karez Irrigation System is one of the three important irrigation projects in ancient China. (The other two refers to LingCanal in Guilin and Dujiangyan Irrigation System in Sichuan.) Owning to the dry weather in Turpan, water has always been the rarest resource here. In order to relieve the aridity, the intelligent and talented ancestors in Xinjiang created the Karez Irrigation System. At present, there are over 400 Karez systems in Turpan. They are the life resource of this oasis.

The Karez Irrigation System is comprised of four parts: vertical wells, underground canals, above-ground canals and small reservoirs. The lengths of Karez differ according to the landforms. The longest one can reach to 20, 000 meters, while the shortest one is only about 100 meters.

In Turpan, the oldest Karez is located in Zhuangzi Village, QiatekaleTown. This Karez system is 3.5km long and has been used for almost 500 years. The most famous one should be Miyimu Aji Karez, which is the major component of Karez Paradise.

Karez Paradise Travel Tips:

Admission Fee: CNY40

Grape Valley: General Introduction

Grape Valley is located close to the Flaming Mountains. The area around Turpan is known for its wealth of fruit orchards and vineyards and in the late summer, the grapes are ripe and this is a wonderful time to visit the valley.

The Grape Valley itself consists of a trail of thick vines and trellises surrounded by stark desert. There is a winery here and some well ventilated brick buildings for hanging grapes. Two types of wine are produced in the area: a rich dark red port-like drink, and a lighter more fruity white wine. Both wine and raisins are exported in large quantities from Turpan. There is a grape festival here in August with singing, dancing and eating.

Backed by the mountains and lying alongside the river, Grape Valley is a pretty little spot to stop for a rest. Inside the complex, there are dining halls serving food and ethnic handicrafts.

Grape Valley Travel Tip

Admission Fee: CNY60

Ancient City of Jiaohe: General Introduction

The ancient, ruined city of Jiaohe stands isolated on a 30-meter-high plateau in the Ya’ernaizi Valley, 10 kilometers east of Turpan. The ancient city of Jiaohe is situated on an island between two rivers and the name for the area means “the confluence of two rivers”. The whole city stretches about 1,650 meters from south to north, and 300 meters from east to west. Jiaohe Ancient City was initially built about 2,000 years ago and was controlled by the residents of Gaochang for a long period of time.

Today, the ancient city of Jiaohe is a well-preserved site and a more atmospheric spot to wander and imagine times gone by than the city at Gaochang. Well-preserved temples, pagodas and streets are dotted around. A Buddhist monastery marks the center of the city and there are some ancient filled wells here too. The crumbling sand colored walls of the buildings reflect the color of the desert and the surrounding sand dunes.

Ancient City of Jiaohe Travel Tips

Admission Fee: CNY40

Opening Hours: 09:00-18:00

Ancient City of Gaochang: General Introduction

The ancient city of Gaochang was the capital of Gaochang Kingdom. The ancient city of Gaochang was built in the 1^stcentury BC and abandoned in the late of 13^th century AD. Although it has suffered natural erosions heavily for the past 2,000 years, the ancient city still keeps its original outline. The ancient city of Gaochang is located 40km east ofTurpan City, at the foot of Flaming Mountain.

To the northwest of the ancient city of Gaochang, there is a large scale temple. It is said that when Xunzang, the eminent monk in Tang Dynasty, stopped at this temple on his journey to the west and taught Buddhist sutra here for a month.

The ancient city of Gaochang consists of three parts: the inner city, the outside city and the palace city. Most of the buildings were destroyed by the wars in the late 13^th century. At present, the two temple ruins in the outside city are comparatively well preserved: one is on the southwestern corner and the other is on the southeastern corner. Additionally, the inner city contains an irregular-shape castle which is also known as Khan Castle by the locals.

Ancient City of Gaochang Travel Tips

Admission Fee: CNY40

Opening Hours: 08:00-17:00

Turpan is a city where majority population are Uyghurs and they are Muslims. Therefore it is very easy for Muslims to travel around Turpan, mosques and Halal restaurants can be found everywhere. IslamiChina has summarized the following Turpan Muslim travel tips to our Muslim brothers and sisters to travel Turpan during a short period of time.

Tour Itinerary Planning

Turpan can be reached by train from Dunhuang or by train from Urumqi. However, if you are in Urumqi, the better way to travel to Turpan is by bus. The distance between these two cities is only 140km. There are ruins of two ancient cities in Turpan, one is Gaochang Ancient City City, the other is Jiaohe Ancient City, choose one to visit. The Grape Valley is worth visiting as you can also visit local Uyghur Muslim families there. The Karez system is one of the greatest inventions in this oasis city which keeps water from evaporation. The Emin Minaret is a very unique mosque typical of Xinjiang Uyghur architecture.

Accommodations

Most hotels in Turpan have Halal restaurants. Therefore, just pick up a hotel you like in Turpan.

Halal Restaurants in Turpan

Since majority people in Turpan are Uyghur people and Uyghur people are Muslims, Kashgar is the easiest city in China to find Halal restaurants. Of course, all Halal restaurants in Kashgar serve Xinjiang Uyghur Cuisine.

Mosques in Turpan

Among all the mosques in Turpan, the Emin Minaret mosque is the most famous. The exquisitely formed minaret with its helmet-shaped top is one of the most famous examples of Muslim architecture in Xijiang. The Emin (or Imin) Minaret (or Su Gong Ta) is located a short distance east of Turpan.

Money Exchange

You can exchange traveler's checks or cash at most banks, and most 5-star and 4-star hotels always have a money exchange counter. You can also get a cash advance on your credit card on ATM machine. The exchange rate all over China are the same fixed by Bank of China. To change money, you have to have your passport at hand. If you want to change money in a hotel, you usually have to be a guest there. Sometimes if you are not a guest in a hotel but need to change money there, you can just say a random room number, but this doesn't always work. Remember to keep the exchange slip well because you need this slip to change the Chinese Yuan back to your currency if you do have this need at the end of the tour. At present, the RMB is not exchangeable on the International market, so it is only usable within the country. So when you are changing money, don't change too much, because it is difficult to change back into other currencies. To change RMB back into your home currency, you must retain the exchange slips that are given to you at the bank or money exchange counter.