The Ancient City Turpan has a great deal to offer travelers including Buddhist and Islamic cultural relics, the ruins of an ancient city and the burial ground for their dead. The ruins of the City of Gaochang record the grandeur of this ancient Uigur city-state, and the Astana Graves are the final resting place of Gaochang’s dead. Southwest of the city are the Jiaohe ruins, a garrison that met its fate under Genghis Khan’s might. Lastly, one of the greatest feats of ancient engineering in China, the Karez Underground Irrigation Channels, has made the area the oasis it is today.
Also, the Buddhist statues and frescos of the Baizeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, while greatly defaced, is still a pleasant and scenic spot. Nearby are the Flaming Mountains, made famous by the Chinese novel “Journey to the West”.
Last, the simply wonderful Muslim architecture of the Emin Minaret and Turpan’s Grape Valley are at the cultural heart of this desert city.
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