Red Hill
Red Hill, also known as Tiger Head Hill or Tiger Head Peak, is at the center of Urumqi. On the eastern bank of Urunqi River. It is 910 meters above sea level. It is calles Res Hill because the rocks of the hill are dark red. There was a Pavilion of Jade Emperor and a 8-meter-high Suppressing Dragon Pagoda with 9 layers on the top of the hill. After 1949. people drew water up the hill and planted trees and built roads at the foot of the hill. Now visitors can climb to top and have a panoramic view of Urumqi.
Tianchi Lake
Tianchi Lake. Or Heavenly Lake, is located in Fukang County, Changji Hui Automomous Prefecture. It is a lake formed by melted snow. It is 1,900 meters above sea level and depth of waters in some part reaches 90 meters. It covers an area of 5 square kilometers surrounded by towering dragon spruces and snow capped mountains afar.
The Ruins of Jiaohe City
The Ruins of Jiaohe City, or Yar City, are 10 kilometers west of Turpan, on a raised section between two riverbeds in the Yarnaz Valley Village. It is surrounded by two rivers like a deserted islet. It is a key historical and cultural site under state protection. The remains of the ancient city represent the architecture after the Tang Dynasty. Tourists can clearly tell which where people’s houses, government offices, and temples, and discover the vestiges of household kitchens under the guidance of tourist guides
The Flaming Mountains
Situated in the middle of the Turpan Basin, the Flaming Mountains are called Kiziltag by the local people which means “Red Mountains”. The mountains stretch 100 kilometers east to west and are 10 Kilometers wide, ranging up to 500 meters in height. They are formed from russet sandstone, conglomerate and mudstone which sparkle under the blazing sun. They contained the mountain pass to enter the city of Gaochang. Tourists who come to Flaming Mountains, are surprised to see that the valley is covered with a large belt of fresh green plants—the well-known Grape Velley is right at the foot of the Flaming Mountains.
The Bizaklik Thousand-Buddha Grottoes
The Bizaklik Thousand-Buddha Grottoes are some of the famous grottoes in Xinjiang, and are situated about 50 kilometers northeast of Turpan. The earliest of the thousand-Buddha grottoes were built in the Tang Dynasty. Sixty-four grottoes remain today. Most of the paintings in the grottoes hove been destroyed, and only a few remain as colorful as they were. On both sides of many statues there are two rows of words written in Han and Huihu which reveal how widespread Buddhism became in the Western Regions.
Kan’erjing(Subterranean Canals)
Kan’erjing are distributed mainly in Turpan, Hami, and Kuqa areas, the largest number, about 1,200 canals are in Turpan. Kan’er means well. Kan’erjing is a typical irrigation system. It is characteristically a subterranean irrigation system which brings ground water from a deep level to higher level and finally to the surface. Kan’erjing is made up of vertical shafts. Subterranean canals, surface ditches and small ponds, A vertical shaft can be deep as 70 meters and a subterranean canal can be about 10 kilometers long. The subterranean canals are supplied with water from the melted ice and snow of the Tianshan Mountain. The candals are solidly built so that the water neither overlows nor dries out. The Kan’erjing along with the Great Wall and the Great Canal are known as the three largest and most impressive man-made projects of ancient China.
The Tomb of Apak Hoja
The Tomb of Apak Hoja is located at Ezret Village 5 kilometers northeast of the city. It was built in 1640. It is the tomb of Apak Hoja and his family members and is the largest Islamic mausoleum in China Apak Haja was the King of Hoja State of Kashgar. The Tomb of Apak Hoja covers an area of 30 mu. It is composed of gate-tower, great mosque, small mosque, scripture hall, and main tomb chamber. The Tomb is surrounded by high trees, providing it with a quite and beautiful environment. |
