Turfan Prefecture
     Turfan Prefecture lies in the Turfan Depression at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains , covering an area of over 69000 square kilometers. The city of Turfan is the seat of the administrative office of the prefecture. The prefecture has one city and two counties under its jurisdiction, with a population of 540 thousands. The lowest place in the depression is 154 meters below sea level. Turfan Prefecture has a continental dry desert climate and has long been known as the “ Prefecture of Fire ” and “ Wind Storehouse”. Turfan is a traffic hub linking the southern part and northern part of Xinjiang together and linking Xinjiang with the hinterland of our country. According to historical records, the native inhabitants in Turfan are Gushi people. In 60 B.C., the kingdom of Cheshi submitted to the authority of the Han Dynasty. The Governor-General Government for Controlling the Western Regions was established in the same year and Zhen Ji was appointed as the first Governor-General. In 48 B.C., the Han Dynasty set up the Wuji Xiaowei Military Office in Jiaohe City in Anterior Cheshi to control the reclaiming affairs in the Western Countries. In 499 A .D., Turfan came into the period of Qu`s Gaochang Kingdom. In the 14th year of Zhenguan period ( 640A .D.) of the Tang Dynasty ,the Gaochang Kingdom was conquered and the West Prefecture was set up here. In 866 A .D., the Gaochang Uighurian Kingdom was set up here, which took the Gaochang as its center, and kept unconquered until submitting to Genghis Khan, then Uighur was renamed “Wei-Wu-Er”. In the 10th year of Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty ( 1884A .D,), Turfan Department was established, which was renamed Turfan County in 1913. In 1984, the county was changed as city. Turfan is a town of military importance on the Silk Roads, rich in historical relics of Chinese and Western types both on ground and underground. Today, Turfan has been built into a beautiful oasis garden city, not only features in history and civilization of the ancient Silk Roads, but also presents modern elegant demeanors. Now Turfan is an important base of grape, cotton, Hami melon and oil of the autonomous region and even in our country.
The Aydingkol Lake
      Located 50 kilometers to the south of the city of Turfan, the Aydingkol Lake is 154 meters below sea level, lowest in China and second lowest in the World—next only to the Dead Sea ( -391m ) in Jordan. It covers an area of 220 thousands square kilometers. Except for a sheet of very shallow water in its southwest part,only silvery white salt crusts shimmering on the dried-up lakebed cover today`s Aydingkol. So local call it “ Moonlight Lake ”. Attracted by this peculiar geographical characteristics and desert landscapes round, visitors from all over China and abroad come here to sightsee and explore.
The Flaming Mountain
      The Flaming Mountain is a legendary mountain, running from Shanshan County on west, 98 kilometers in length and 9 kilometers across, with a relative height of 500 meters and the highest peak 831.7 meters. The mountain is a branch range of the Bogda Mountain , formed in the orogenic movements of the Himalayas . Its highest air temperature in summer is 47.8 degrees centigrade, and the ground is over 70 degrees centigrade in summer. For this reason and its natural geographical features, people vividly call it “ Flaming Mountain ”. Through the well-known story about this mountain in the novel “Journey to the West”, the mountain has enjoyed great popularity and become an ideal place for tour.
Sand Therapy Center
      Sand therapy has a history of more than a hundred years in Turfan. The sand dunes in the Turfan Basin are best places for sand therapy. During June to August every year, continuous streams of people come here for sand therapy. As the sands contain abundant magnetite filings, and as under the sun the temperature of the surface of sand layer reaches 70 degree centigrade ， no moisture can be left, so they can expand the blood vessel and speed up metabolism of the human body. Especially, it incorporates sunbath, heat treatment, magnetic treatment and massage as a whole, so it is effective for arthritis and rheumatism. Now a Sand Therapy Center is set up here. Board and Lodging are available in the center for patients.
Turfan Museum
      Located at Gaochang Road , Turfan, the museum was built in 1965 and relocated to the present site recently. The new museum covers a ground area of 7000 square an exhibition area of 3000 square meters. More than 5 thousands of cultural relics are stores in the museum. On its basic display “Turfan Historical Relics Exhibition” are numerous valuable cultural relics of various periods found in Turfan, which show people the course of history and civilization of Turfan. Some special exhibitions are also held in the museum. They are “Ancient Mummies Exhibition”, showing ancient mummies and their dresses and ornaments survived from the particular climate condition, and “Rhinoceros Exhibition”, showing a rhinoceros fossil and a dinosaur fossil of Jurassic Period about 7000-2400 ten thousands years ago.
The Ruins of Ancienty City of Jiaohe
       The Jiaohe Ruins is located on a mesa in willow leaf shape between the Yarnaz River valleys 10 kilometers to the west of Turfan City . Being circled by rivers flowing by, it has the name “Jiaohe”(the city of joining river). The mesa the city occupies has a long and narrow topography, running from northwest to southeast, 1760 meters long and 300 meters across at the widest part. The city includes city gates, streets and lanes, government office, temples, domestic houses, cave houses, wells, and an underground temple. The ancient city of Jiaohe is a famous historical and cultural city built with local conditions by ancient nationalities of Cheshi,Han, Uighur,etc. As a city consisting of earth constructions, it is seldom seen in the world both in ots size and good preservation situation. Now it is a major cultural site under state protection.
The Ruins of Ancient City of Gaochang
       Located 47 kilometers to thee southeast of the city of Turfan , the Gaochang Ruins is near the Flaming Mountain on north. It was a political, economic and cultural center of Xinjiang in ancient times. The existing parts of it consist of three parts built in different times. The first part is the outer city, which is square in shape, 5.6 kilometers in circumference. The second is the inner city,occupying the center of the outer city. The third is the palace city, which is situated in the northern part of the Gaochang city. There are still some earthen platforms remained in the palace city. In the southwesrern part of the outer city there is a temple of the Tang and the Gaochang Uighur periods. In the Han times, here was called Gaochangbi. In the former Liang times, the Gaochang Prefecture was set up here. During the northern Wei and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the city became the capital of Qu`s Gaochang Kingdom. Up to the Tang Dynasty, the West Prefecture was set up here. And in the Gaochang Uighur periods,the Also Protector General was set up in the city. After having been in use for 1400 years, the Gaochang City was burnt down in a war. The existing parts of it mostly belong to remains of Gaochang Uighur periods. Now it is a major cultural site under state protection.
The Bezeklik Caves
       The Bezeklik Caves is located 50 kilometers to the east of Turfan City . “Bezeklik”means “a place with beautiful decoration”. There are 83 numbered caves; among them 40 preserved murals totaling 1200 square meters. These caves are first excavated in Qu`s Gaochang period. The exising caves were reconstructed or newly extended by Uighurian people. In some caves one can find that Buddhish murals are painted on Manichean murals. Themes of the murals are mainly the stories about causes. On front walls flanking the door of the cave are generally painted Uighurian donors and written Chinese and Uighurian inscriptions. The Bezeklik Caves now is a major cultural site under state protection.
Toyok Caves
      The caves lies 65 kilometers to the east of the city of Turfan and are constructed or dug in eastern and western cliffs in Toyok Valley . Among more than 40 caves, there are 10 preserving murals. They are considered to be the earliest caves in Turfan, first excavated in the Wei,Jin ,and S outhern ＆ Northern Dynasties. The latest ones were dug in the Tang Dynasty. Most of them are square in shape and have a center pillal. Murals are mostly damaged, but unique in style. They are valuable Buddhish cultural materials of Turfan and the Western Regions. Now it is listed as a major cultural site protected by autonomous region.
The Astana Tombs
        Located over 40 kilometers to the southeast of Turfan City , covering an area of 10 square kilometers, the Astana Tombsare the graveyard of the residents lived in the Gaochang City in the Jin-Tang times,including largesized familu graveyard. Between 1959 and 1975,here had been excavated 13 times, a great number og cultural relics have been unearthed, including Chinese documents, textiles, epitaphs, coins, clay sculptures, pottery, wooden wares, silk-paintings, crops and foods,etc., and total number of them reaches tens thousands. Known as “the Underground Museum ”, the Astana Tombs afford valuable materials for studies on ancient society, economy, politics,culture, religion, art, and cultural exchanges between China and West, and so on. Now it is a listed as a major cultural site under state protection.
Emin Tower
       Locatedin Mura Village 2 kilometers to the east of the city of Turfa , the Emin Tower was built in the 41st year of the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty and is the biggest existing ancient tower in Xinjiang. It is an embodiment of the ancient architectural arts of the Uygur nationality. It was built by Sulaiman, the prefect of Turfan in the Qing Dynasty, to commemorate his father Emin Khoja who achieved brilliant military successes in safeguarding the unification of the country. The tower is 37 meters high and 10 meters in diameter at the base. The body of the tower is cylindroid in shape, built with bricks arranged in various symmetrical patterns on the outer wall. The tower has 14 windows and a spiral stairs inside it leading to the top. There is a mosque nearby, of which the hall can hold up one thousand people attending service. It has already been listed as a major cultural site under state protection.
Karez System
       The Karez System is a unique irrigation system in Turfan, which, taking advantage of the slopes, draws the underground water to flow by itself to irrigate farmland. It consists of four parts: vertical wells, underground channels, ground canals and small reservois.
Folk Dance in Turfan
       Speaking of Turfan, people naturally think of the song “Turfan's Grapes are ripe”. The folk dance in Turfan is famous for its grace, nature, lightness and cheerfulness. Under grape trellises in summer, loud and clear sounds of tambourines and Suona horns, graceful dance, and affecting “Meshrep” can clear up the hotness and refresh you after you journey.

 
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