GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT TURPAN

Turpan sits at the very center of Xinjiang, a desert bastion at the foot of the "Heavenly Mountains". This area is commonly known as the "Turpan Depression", 328ft. below sea level, the lowest and the hottest place in all of China.

Thanks largely to the people here, this relatively small and economically unimportant place has blossomed in recent years, attracting numerous tourists and travelers, who come here to sample the easy going pace of life and to see the desert. The city itself, despite the intense heat, has been made livable by the construction of vines and trellises, providing avenues of shade from the sun. There are few cars here and donkey cart is the most common and popular mode of transport. The heat means that no one is in a real hurry to get anywhere and it is pleasant just to sit in the shade with a cool drink and watch the world go by.

Turpan is most famous for its splendid grapes. Every household has a ventilated barn on the roof, and some of the world's finest grapes are produced here. 70% of the 500,000 population here are Uigur and the residents here are generally a very friendly bunch, the food is good, the living is cheap and the wine is not bad either!

PLACES TO VISIT IN TURPAN

LOCAL CUISINES OF TURPAN

Turpan caters more for tourists than some of the other cities in Xinjiang. As a result, many restaurants here serve good, standard Chinese fare, have English menus and some even sell western style food. The best selection of places is around the crossroads of Qiunian Lu and Lao Cheng Lu. The Chipu Cafe is currently the pick of the crop round here, serving good Sichuan and Uigur food. Opposite the Turpan Hotel is John's Information Cafe. This place serve good western food and offer invaluable advice about travel in the region. You can also hire bikes and organize drivers and donkey carts from here! Basic Uigur staples such as noodles and kebabs and Uigur Rice, are available from the small stalls and restaurants around Lao Cheng Lu. If it is more upmarket Chinese food you are looking for, try one of the restaurants in the Oasis Hotel.

SHOPPING - LOCAL SPECIALITY OF TURPAN

Turpan hats also enjoy great fame in China. Six to eight pieces of silk or cotton cloth, decorated with chrysanthemum, plum blossom, lotus flower or peony patterns are sown together to make a complete hat. More intricate hats are embroidered with more abstract patterns.

The most famous commercial center in the city is the area around the Turpan Department Store, where there are numerous shops, entertainment centers and restaurants.

In the center of the city stands the largest bazaar--Laocheng Bazaar, which boasts every kind of product and handicraft imaginable in Xinjiang. As a result, this place attracts swarms of tourists and locals every day, looking for a bargain!

TRANSPORTATION TO AND WITHIN TURPAN

By train:
Turpan, which is less than 200 km from Urumqi, is the last stop along the Lanzhou-Urumqi rail line. It takes between 4 and 5 hours to reach Urumqi. Although booking train tickets in Turpan is fairly easy, considering the location of the railway station (about 60 km north of the city) rail is not the most convenient means of transport to or from Turpan.

By bus:
Bus is a better alternative to train for traveling around the neighboring cities and towns, including Urumqi (daily), Hami (daily), Korla (daily), Aksu (twice a week), and Kashgar (three times a week). Since the new highway has been completed and put into use, the time to drive between Turpan and Urumqi has been substantially shortened to around two hours. Every 30 minutes, there is a minibus to Daheyan, where the railway station for Turpan is located. The local bus station is near the bazaar.Travelers are advised to either ask a travel agent to arrange tickets or to get to the station early to buy in person. Be prepared for some hard bargaining too!

Getting around:
To travel around Turpan and the surrounding countryside, bus, bicycle and even donkey carts are options. Bikes can be hired from John's Cafe for RMB5 per hour or RMB25 for a whole day. The Turpan Hotel also rent out bikes in the summer. Minibuses linger around the major hotels, and can be hired for the day. Each bus takes six people and should cost between RMB300-RMB500 for about 10 hours. Again, be prepared to bargain hard! Donkey carts are another fun, means of transport in the city.

CLIMATE OF TURPAN

The unique local climate in Turpan endows the city with the most intense heat in the summer months. When visiting this area, bear in mind that this is the hottest city in all of China and one of the hottest in the world! The highest temperature recorded here was 49.6 degrees C. Make sure you come prepared if you visit during the summer months. Always carry plenty of drinking water, take some very strong sunblock and a good hat!

The grape harvest season, namely July, August and September, is the best time for tourists to visit. Due to unique geographical conditions, the city enjoys long hours of sunshine and scarce rain. The average temperature between June and August is 30 degrees C. In a year, there may be a 5-month period of sustained heat above 35 degrees C. The temperature of the ground surface can reach 75  or even 82.3 degrees.