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Historic city · Scenic area · Xinjiang

Turpan

吐鲁番 (Tǔlǔfān)

Grape oasis in China's lowest and hottest basin

Turpan is a prefecture-level city in eastern Xinjiang, an oasis in a depression that falls to about 154 metres below sea level. Watered by underground karez channels and famous for its grapes, it was the seat of the kingdoms of Jushi, Gaochang and the Uyghur Qocho; the ruined cities of Jiaohe and Gaochang are part of the Silk Roads World Heritage site.

ProvinceXinjiang

Key facts

Province
Xinjiang
Administrative level
Prefecture-level city
Area
about 69,700 km²[1]
Resident population
0.69 million(as of 2020 census)[2]
Lowest point
Ayding Lake, about −154 m
UNESCO World Heritage
Jiaohe and Gaochang (Silk Roads, 2014)[3]

Overview

The Turpan basin is enclosed by the Bogda range to the north and the Kuruktag hills to the south. Rain almost never falls; the oasis lives on meltwater carried from the mountains through hundreds of karez — tunnels dug by hand along a gentle slope and connected to the surface by lines of wells.

Turpan's landscape of red hills, vineyards and ruined mud-brick cities, and its position on the road between Hami and Urumqi, have made it one of the most visited places in Xinjiang. It is predominantly Uyghur.

Names and nicknames

  • 火洲 (Huǒzhōu)

    “land of fire”

    For its summer heat, the highest in China.

  • 葡萄之乡 (pútao zhī xiāng)

    “home of grapes”

    For the vineyards and raisin-drying houses of the oasis.

History

The Jushi (Gushi) kingdom built its capital at Jiaohe on a river island. From the fifth century Gaochang, to the east, became the centre; under the Qu family (498–640) it was a Buddhist kingdom with a Chinese-style administration, which Xuanzang visited in 630. The Tang annexed it in 640. After 840 it became the capital of the Uyghur kingdom of Qocho, where Buddhism, Manichaeism and Church of the East Christianity coexisted, until the Mongol period. Islam became dominant from the fifteenth century. The Emin Minaret was built in 1777–1778.

  1. 2nd century BCE – 5th century

    Jushi kingdom at Jiaohe

    An oasis state contested between the Han and the Xiongnu.

  2. 498–640

    Qu kingdom of Gaochang

    A Buddhist kingdom where Chinese language and administration were used.

  3. 630

    Xuanzang at Gaochang

    The pilgrim was received by King Qu Wentai on his way to India.

  4. 640

    Tang annexation

    Gaochang became Xizhou prefecture of the Tang.

  5. 9th–13th century

    Uyghur kingdom of Qocho

    The Uyghur rulers made Gaochang their capital; the Bezeklik murals date largely from this period.

  6. 1777–1778

    Emin Minaret

    Built in honour of Emin Khoja, the local ruler allied with the Qing.

  7. 2014

    World Heritage inscription

    Jiaohe and Gaochang were inscribed as components of the Silk Roads site.

Landmarks

  1. Historic site

    Jiaohe Ancient City

    交河故城 (Jiāohé Gùchéng)

    A city carved down into the loess of a narrow river island, with streets, temples and houses standing as earthen walls.

  2. Historic site

    Gaochang Ancient City

    高昌故城 (Gāochāng Gùchéng)

    The ruined walled capital of the Qu and Qocho kingdoms east of Turpan.

  3. Temple or shrine

    Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves

    柏孜克里克千佛洞 (Bózīkèlǐkè Qiānfódòng)

    Cave temples in a gorge of the Flaming Mountains; many murals were removed by expeditions in the early twentieth century.

  4. Temple or shrine

    Emin Minaret

    苏公塔 (Sūgōng Tǎ)

    A tapering brick minaret decorated with geometric patterns, beside a mosque.

  5. Nature

    Flaming Mountains

    火焰山 (Huǒyàn Shān)

    Eroded red sandstone ridges, made famous by Journey to the West.

Neighbourhoods

  • Gaochang district

    高昌区 (Gāochāng Qū)

    The central district of the modern city, with vine-shaded streets.

  • Tuyoq

    吐峪沟 (Tǔyùgōu)

    Mud-brick Uyghur village in a gorge of the Flaming Mountains with an early Islamic shrine and Buddhist caves.

Food

  • Raisins

    葡萄干 (pútaogān)

    Green raisins dried in the shade of latticed brick houses.

  • Tandoor lamb

    馕坑肉 (nángkēng ròu)

    Lamb roasted on skewers inside a nan oven.

Culture

Turpan's Uyghur culture is closely tied to the grape: courtyards are shaded by vine trellises, and the harvest in August and September is the busiest time of the year. The Turpan Muqam is one of the regional traditions of Uyghur music. Documents from the Astana tombs, preserved by the dry climate, are among the richest sources on daily life along the Silk Road.

Getting around

  • Turpan North station is on the Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed line; Turpan station at Daheyan serves the conventional line.
  • Turpan Jiaohe Airport has domestic flights.
  • The ancient cities, caves and villages are spread across the basin and are reached by car.

Day trips

  • Astana Tombs

    阿斯塔那古墓群 (Āsītǎnà Gǔmùqún)

    The cemetery of Gaochang, a few tombs open with wall paintings.

  • Karez

    坎儿井 (kǎnrjǐng)

    Museums and working channels of the underground irrigation system.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

  1. Turpan Municipal People's Government — Turpan Municipal People's Government (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  2. Seventh National Population Census communiqués — National Bureau of Statistics of China (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  3. Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor — UNESCO World Heritage Centre (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  4. Turpan — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)

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