Xinjiang: Turpan

Turpan is located at eastern basin od Tianshan and is an important passage of transportation and trade between Xinjiang Province, Middle Asia region and China’s inland. Covering a total area of 70,000 square kilometers, Turpan governs Turpan City, Shanshan County and Toksun County, and possesses 26 towns, with a total population of 559,000, among which Uyghur people account for 77.1 percent and Han people takes up 22.9%. Endowed with unique climate and abundant resources, Turpan has three advantages:

First, rich light and heat resource. The weather here is dry and rainless, specifically with average annual rainfall being about 16mm, and evaporation being 3,600 mm, it receives abundant sunlight. The sunlight duration for the whole year is as long as 3,200 hours, and its frost-free days are as long as 210 days. Turpan is called the Land of Fire, which was derived from the intense summer temperature, the highest ever recorded was 47.5℃ and in summer the ground surface temperature is about 70℃. The good light and heat conditions and unique climate enable Turpan to be teemed with economic crops like grapes, cantaloupes, long-staple cotton and anti-season vegetables.

Second, abundant mineral resources.

Third, various tourist resources. Turpan now has 6 key cultural relics conservation, 23 autonomous region-level cultural relic conservations. Its richness of tourist resources rank the first in Xinjiang Province.Turpan is famous for its grapes produce. since 1990, the Grape festival held in the city becomes a great attraction not only to business people, but people from all over the world.