Turpan

While in Korle ( Khurla, Korla, Kurla, Kuerle, etc. ) I learnt that there had been a riot near Turpan in which thirty five people had been killed.  Our guide was not sure whether the political unrest would mean that we could not enter the city.  Several telephone calls later we were allowed to enter the city.

There were several check points manned by police and army personnel but other than that everyone was going about normally.  The shops were open and the streets filled with traffic.

The Xinjiang Province is populated by Uyghur, Kazak, Kirgiz, Tajik, Uzbek, TarTar and other groups.  It is very much like the 'stans' with similar people and culture.  They are predominately Muslim.  The ethnic Chinese are in the minority.

Turpan is the city which claims to have the hottest temperatures in China.  Located below sea level it is known as China's equivalent of 'Death Valley'.  Bob Martin, retired Hamilton school teacher, while on a tour there experienced a blistering fifty two degrees Celsius.  We had a relatively mild forty two point five degrees beating down on us.

Riding through the desert to get to Turpan there is nothing growing because the conditions are so harsh.

As I approached Turpan I encountered miles of grape vines, irrigated fields and crops.  The city has a water management system which dates back several thousand years.  The source of the water is the Tian Shan mountains BUT the inhabitants have had to dig underground tunnels to direct the water into the city.  The system is called Karez.  These underground tunnels have been hand dug to channel the snow melt water to the city.  The longest tunnel is twenty kilometres long and there are over five thousand kilometres of them.

Didn't get to visit a working Karez but went to a tourist facility where they have reproduced a section of one.  It was bit like a Disney Land display - didn't take any photos.

This city with thousands of years of history there are any number of ancient ruins to visit.  We went to the ruins of an ancient city called Jiaohe which was located on top of hill by the junction of two rivers.  

It must have once been a very different environment than it is now.  The artifacts show that there was once plenty of game to be hunted.

Boomerangs and Woomeras???

The obligatory pottery figurines.

Hope this figurine was created from the imagination of maker.  Not something I would want to confront.

Written language when Europeans were still rough barbarians.

Artur is a Buddhist and wanted to see some Buddhist paintings and artifacts in a remote location.  So into the desert we went.

The caves are in the process of being developed for tourism.  It is a shame in a way but it will mean employment for some and better access for others.

One of the local men employed at the sight.  He was all smiles to see us and very welcoming.

No photography was allowed of the paintings.  There were only a few left.  Most of the paintings and cravings have been acquired by European museums.   Managed to get a quick snap - just to show the colours - no flash used. 

Artur was all smiles but later admitted that he was disappointed with what was on display.

The camel handlers went back to their cards once we were not interested in going for a ride.

The camels went back to grazing - on what I don't know.

Clive is usually doing his own thing which is riding well ahead of us.  Caught him coming from behind for once - caught the moment.