Travel to Turpan! Top 5 Places to Visit in Xinjiang's Beautiful Silk Road Oasis
The heart of Uyghur culture can be found in Turpan, a city in China's far west region of Xinjiang. Here are the top 5 places to visit! Read more:
Are you traveling to Turpan? Don't forget to grab a copy of the FarWestChina Xinjiang travel guide. Learn more here:
Special thanks to my friend Uyghur Abdurehim for providing a performance of the dutar that was used as the background music for this video.
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- DJI Osmo:
- DJI Phantom 3:
- Canon 70D:
- GoPro Hero3 Silver:
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Welcome to Turpan! | An Introduction to Uyghur Life in Western Xinjiang, China
Known as the Heart of Uyghur Culture, there's a reason why the tiny town of Turpan is so popular. Learn more about what to see and do in Turpan here:
Also, if you're going to be traveling to Xinjiang, don't forget to grab a copy of the FarWestChina Xinjiang travel guide, the only comprehensive guide to the entire region:
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Welcome to Turpan!
Located two hours southeast of the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi, the city of Turpan offers a beautiful view of the Uyghur culture, one of the reasons it's become such a popular place to visit.
The Uyghur people make up approximately 70% of the population and their history in the region goes back thousands of years.
Turpan used to be a stop along the ancient Silk Road and many of the best places to visit in the city, including the Jiaohe Ruins (交河故城) and Gaochang Ancient City (高昌故城), allow visitors to walk among historical remnants that date back as early as 100 B.C.
In addition to ancient cities, Turpan is also home to the Bezeklik Caves (柏孜克里克), once a treasure trove of Buddhist art, the Karez (坎儿井), a Uyghur irrigation system that is an engineering marvel, the Emin Minaret (苏公塔), the Flaming Mountains (火焰山), Grape Valley (葡萄沟) and much, much more.
But enough with the tourist stuff. In my opinion, what really makes Turpan awesome is the small town atmosphere that lets you experience Uyghur culture outside the confines of a big city.
The market, the street food and especially the night life are probably as memorable, if not more so, than the sites you see during the day.
Turpan is a city you won't forget and one that you won't regret visiting.
Silk Road W China Turpan and Urumqi
The hottest places, some below sea level in NW China. Part of our trek across the Xingyang province along the Silk Road.
Kashgar's NEW Old City | Charms & Controversy Surrounding Rebuilt History in Xinjiang, China
What the heck happened to Kashgar's ancient Old City? Was it torn down? Rebuilt? Left to ruin? Join me as I revisit this fascinating part of Silk Road history.
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My primary camera:
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My microphone:
My other camera:
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When I first visited Kashgar's Old City in 2008, the mud brick homes that had stood on that spot for centuries formed a labyrinth of alleyways that was fun to wander around.
Then, in 2009, the Chinese government deemed these homes unsafe and decided to tear them down and rebuild them completely, much to the horror of the international community.
They tore down everything except a small portion on the east side of the city.
Now, eight years later, I have decided to revisit this ancient Silk Road oasis and find out what has happened to this new Old City. Did they rebuild it well? How does it compare to the old Old City? What do the locals think?
Join me as I explore the back alleys of Kashgar's Old City, try a bit of Uyghur street food and even get a personal tour of an old Uighur home!
XINJIANG - Silk Road in China
Xinjiang Province in China, visiting the Silk Road routes used by merchants during ancient times.
Highlights of visited places:
- Old city of Kashgar
- Taklamakan desert
- Karakul Lake
- Heavenly Lake of Tianshan, near Urumqi
- Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
- Tashkurgan, in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County
Explore Jiaohe Ancient City in Turpan, Xinjiang - Spectacular Silk Road Ancient Ruins!
Travel back in time to Turpan's Jiaohe Ancient City (交河故城) where it's possible to walk the streets once dug out of a muddy plateau. In this introduction, get a sense of what it looks like, the history of Jiaohe and expert tips on how to get around. Read more:
Are you planning to travel to Xinjiang soon? You'll want to grab a copy of the FarWestChina Xinjiang travel guide, the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide on the region:
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The ancient city of Jiaohe, which lies about ten kilometers west of the small town of Turpan in Xinjiang, is one of the most visually spectacular ruins of the old Silk Road. More than 1,500 years of history sits atop this 30-meter high plateau and because of this it has become one of Xinjiang’s most interesting archeological sites – certainly one that’s worth your time to visit.
The entire city ruins run 1,700 meters in length and 300 meters at the widest point. During its peak it was home to about 5,000 residents and boasted a “main street”, several monasteries, and government offices. It’s incredibly well-preserved considering its age, as you can see in the video here.
If you enjoyed this video, please give it a thumbs up and leave a comment letting me know if you've had a chance to visit (or what you thought about your visit!).
And remember, the best way you can support me is by buying and reviewing the FarWestChina Xinjiang travel guide. Find it here:
【Travelogue HQ】 Ethnic Odyssey (09) Turpan of Xinjiang 2/2
Channel: CCTV-News International
Program: Travelogue
Date: 2009-04-11
Description: Ethnic Odyssey (09) Turpan of Xinjiang 2/2
Video Series ID: aJkYd92Xa98H9CeBuUbLLQ==
Multipart Video ID: 4s9opwNmSqITCoU5T4dpwA==
China/Kasghar/Turpan/(Silkroad 2002) Part 7
Welcome to my travelchannel.On my channel you can find almost 1000 films of more than 70 countries. See the playlist on my youtube channel.Enjoy!
Turpan also known as Turfan or Tulufan, is a prefecture-level city located in the east of Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. It has an area of 69,324 square kilometres (26,766 sq mi) and a population of 570,000 (2003)
In 803, the Uyghurs of the Uyghur Khaganate seized Turfan from the Tibetans. The Uyghur Khaganate however was destroyed by the Kirghiz and its capital Ordu-Baliq in Mongolia sacked in 840. The defeat resulted in the mass movement of the Uyghurs out of Mongolia and their dispersal into Gansu and Central Asia, and many joined other Uyghurs already present in Turfan. In the early twentieth century, a collection of some 900 Christian manuscripts dating to the ninth to the twelfth centuries was found at a monastery site at Turfan.[20]
The Uyghurs established a Kingdom in the Turpan region with its capital in Gaochang or Kara-Khoja. The kingdom was known as the Uyghuria Idikut state or Kara-Khoja Kingdom that lasted from 856 to 1389 AD. The Uyghurs were Manichaean but later converted to Buddhism and funded the construction the cave temples in the Bezeklik Caves. The Uyghurs formed an alliance with the rulers of Dunhuang. The Uyghur state later became a vassal state of the Kara-Khitans, and then as a vassal of the Mongol Empire. This Kingdom was led by the Idikuts, or Saint Spiritual Rulers. The last Idikut left Turpan area in 1284 for Kumul, then Gansu to seek protection of Yuan Dynasty, but local Uyghur Buddhist rulers still held power until the invasion by the Moghul Hizir Khoja in 1389. The conversion of the local Buddhist population to Islam was completed nevertheless only in the second half of the 15th century.
Artifacts of Manichaean and Buddhist provenance are found in Turfan. Uyghur, New Persian, Sogdian and Syriac documents have been found in Turfan.Turfan also has documents with Middle Persian.After being converted to Islam, the descendants of the previously Buddhist Uyghurs in Turfan failed to retain memory of their ancestral legacy and falsely believed that the infidel Kalmuks (Dzungars) were the ones who built Buddhist monuments in their area.
Turpan Uyghurs has more Han Chinese features and looks than Uyghurs elsewhere, and this is suggested to be due to intermarriage between Han Chinese and Uyghur in the past according to the locals. Due to physical features found in Uyghurs in Turpan it was claimed that Uyghurs married slaves sent to Turpan's Lukchun area by the Qing accordging to the Manchu Ji Dachun.
Turpan is an agricultural economy growing vegetables, cotton, and especially grapes being China's largest raisin producing area. There is a steady increase in farming acreage devoted to grapes backed by strong local government support for increased production.The local government has coordinated improvements in raisin distribution, offered preferential loans for grape cultivation, and free management training to growers.Wikipedia
The chinese silk road (From Kashgar to Beijing)
Note: Only the introduction is in french. No comment are added after.
La route de la soie chinoise
Circuit Nouvelles-Frontières du 8 août 2014
Jour 1 : PARIS - PEKIN
Jour 2 : PEKIN
Jour 3 : PEKIN - URUMQI (2 900 km/4h10 de vol) - KASHGAR
Jour 4 : KASHGAR
Jour 5 : KASHGAR - KARAKUL - KASHGAR
Jour 6 : KASHGAR - URUMQI - TURFAN
Jour 7 : TURFAN - LIUYUAN
Jour 8 : LIUYUAN - DUNHUANG
Jour 9 : DUNHUANG - JIAYUGUAN
Jour 10 : JIAYUGUAN - ZHANGYE
Jour 11 : ZHANGYE- XINING
Jour 12 : XINING - TONGREN
Jour 13 : TONGREN - XIAHE
Jour 14 : XIAHE
Jour 15 : XIAHE - LANZHOU - XI’AN
Jour 16 : XI’AN
Jour 17 : XI’AN - PEKIN
Jour 18 : PEKIN
Jour 19 : PEKIN - PARIS
VALPARD
Thank you for watching my videos. This is the complete film about my trip on the chinese part of the silk road. Soon Specific parts of this film will be uploaded to have direct access to tourist places. Best regards. Merci/Dankie/Ngiyabonga kakhulu/Thank you/Danke sehr/¡muchas gracias/Obrigado/grazie mille/спасибо/非常感谢/감사/ありがとう/ شكرا / शुक्रिया /
Map for China:
12 DAYS SILK ROAD JOURNEY: XI'AN - DUNHUANG - TURPAN - URUMQI - KASHGAR - TASHKURGAN
12 Days travelling along the Silk Road from Xi'an to Kashgar, the most western region of China before traders crossed the border.
2 international flights
2 domestic flights
4 hours of bullet train ride
20hrs of car/bus ride
20 mins of Camel ride
Coldest temperature: 6 degree Celsius
Hottest temperature: 35 degrees Celsius
Lowest elevation: 154m below sea level
Highest elevation: 3600m above sea level
This is a summary of the trip, and I'll upload a detailed video of the journey soon.
Cheers!
Journey to Xinjiang-Turpan
Turpan City consists of Gaochang district, Shanshan county and Toksun County. It lies in the eastern section of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and south of the Tianshan Mountains. Turpan was a major crossroad for ancient Eurasia and an important city on the Silk Road. It is also the place where four ancient civilizations gathered and communicated with each other. Follow CGTN to experience the city!
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The Ancient Silk Road of China by Michael Fairchild .mov
In the days of Kublai Khan, merchants traveled a dangerous road, carrying precious cargos of jade, gunpowder, sandalwood, and silk. So opens my audio visual which recreates the spirit of Marco Polo's epic journey across China in the 13th century
Turpan Yuanyang Xiapu
China Turpan Yuanyang Xiapu
China/Peking to (Urumqi-Turpan-Kashgar) 2002 Part 6
Welcome to my travelchannel.On my channel you can find almost 1000 films of more than 70 countries. See the playlist on my youtube channel.Enjoy!
China:
Beijing (formerly romanized as Peking) is the capital of the People's Republic of China and the world's third most populous city proper. It is also one of the world's most populous capital city. The city, located in northern China, is governed as a direct-controlled municipality under the national government with 16 urban, suburban, and rural districts.[9] Beijing Municipality is surrounded by Hebei Province with the exception of neighboring Tianjin Municipality to the southeast; together the three divisions form the Jingjinji metropolitan region and the national capital region of China.Beijing is the second largest Chinese city by urban population after Shanghai and is the nation's political, cultural, and educational center. It is home to the headquarters of most of China's largest state-owned companies, and is a major hub for the national highway, expressway, railway, and high-speed rail networks. The Beijing Capital International Airport is the second busiest in the world by passenger traffic. The city's subway network is among the longest and busiest in the world.The city's history dates back three millennia. As the last of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, Beijing has been the political center of the country for much of the past eight centuries. The city is renowned for its opulent palaces, temples, parks, gardens, tombs, walls and gates,[14] and its art treasures and universities have made it a center of culture and art in China.[14] Encyclopædia Britannica notes that few cities in the world have served for so long as the political headquarters and cultural centre of an area as immense as China. Beijing has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, Zhoukoudian, as well as parts of the Great Wall and the Grand Canal.Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics and was chosen to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, which will make it the first city to ever host both events.Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Is Xinjiang China's Most Dangerous Province?
Join YPT in the deserts and oasis towns of China’s Far West!
From the ancient city of Kashgar, through small Uyghur towns on the southern Silk Road, we cross the Taklamakan Desert to Turpan, the lowest city in China at 142m below sea level.
The Xinjiang Far West tour starts in the historic city of Kashgar, closer geographically to Tehran and Damascus than to Beijing, a border town between China and the Central Asian states of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and the site where traditional Uyghur life hits the Chinese state head-on. We visit the old town, livestock market and main bazaar and, being YPT, can’t miss out on the huge statue of Chairman Mao in People’s Square.
We check out small Uyghur towns that haven’t been developed along the Kashgar model, yet, and skirt the Taklamakan Desert as we go. On the north of the desert, we spend a day at Kuqa’s amazing Thousand Buddha caves, reminding us that before the spread of Islam southern Xinjiang was the place where Buddhism entered China.
Lastly, we hang out in the Turpan, China’s Death Valley, the lowest and hottest place in China. In the countryside outside the city, it’s surprisingly green though and we wander the ruins of ancient cities and stop in a Uyghur holy village for lunch.
If you’d like to see some more Central Asia while you’re here, you could join us for the Silk Road Summer Tour, which visits Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan as well or simply the Kyrgyzstan Independence Day and Xinjiang Combo to combine the best of these two locations and one of China’s least travelled border crossings.
ANCIENT KAREZ WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM OF TURPAN, WESTERN CHINA
One of the ancient world's greatest civil engineering feats.
CHINA - THE SILK ROAD
dimitrastasinopoulou.com
The Silk Road is the world's oldest, and most historically important overland trade route. For over 2000 years, traders and merchants travelled the deserts of central Asia exchanging goods between the Chinese empire and the rest of the world. As a result, the oases of the desert sprang up into dynamic cities. A vast network of interconnected caravan routes that stretched for over 6,500 klm enabled the exchange of products and ideas between China and the rest of the world. The Silk Road began around 329 BCE, when Alexander the Great conquered the entire known world and promoted trade to the east and got its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade along it. Though silk was certainly the major trade item from China, many other goods were traded, and various technologies, religions and philosophies. The great story of the Silk Road is that Buddhism travelled on it, from India.
The dry climate has preserved many ruins, while many ethnic groups make their home in this part of China. The Ancient Silk Road started at Xian and then it reached Dunhuang, where it divided into three, the Southern, Central and the Northern Route. The pictures in this video start in Xian and cover the northern route. Xian is one of the oldest cities of China with more than 3,100 years of history. It is home to the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. The terracotta warriors, is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210--209 BC and whose purpose was to protect him in his afterlife. Lanzhou is the next stop. 100km SE on the Yellow River, are the Bingling Temple Caves. The first begun around 420 CE at the end of the Western Jin Dynasty. Work continued and more grottoes were added during the Wei, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Their inaccessibility spared them from destruction during the Cultural Revolution, while an 80-foot Buddha is carved into the cliff. Dunhuang is located between the Taklamakan desert and Gobi desert. Taklamakan is the world's second largest shifting sand desert after Sahara. The Mogao caves, also called Thousand Buddha caves (the first was carved in 366AD) have the best Buddhist murals in the world. In Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region, China's largest province with only 20 million inhabitants, we visit Turpan, Urumqi and Kashgar. Turpan's, Flaming Mountains, the hottest place in China, overshadow the cradle of the Turpan ancient civilization and oasis agriculture. Here we see the Gaochang city ruins, the former Uyghur capital (1st c BC) and the ancient Buddhist city of GaoHe Kerez (2nd c. BC). Urumqi is the capital of Xinjiang and once an important station on the Silk Road, famous for being a major city furthest from any ocean. Kashgar, or Kashi, is a city with a history of more than 2,000 years. It was historically considered as the gateway and hub for the transfer of goods from China to Central Asia and Europe along the ancient Silk Road. Kashgar preserves the most complete Uygur culture, art and architecture and is famous for its bazaar and animal market. Starting in Beijing, The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, to protect the Chinese Empire against the enemies, while its border controls allowed the imposition of duties of goods transported along the Silk Road. The entire wall with all its branches measure 21,000 klm. Several walls were being built as early as the 7th century BC. Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China. The city's history dates back three millennia. As the last of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, Beijing has been the political center of the country and is renowned for its palaces, temples, gardens, tombs, walls gates and art treasures.
MUSIC: Traditional Chinese Music The Blooming of Rainy Night Flowers, Ode to Coral, Instrumental Uyghur Music (Mining Rewabim), Beijing Welcomes You Official Album Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Music copyright is owned by the original artists.
dimitrastasinopoulou.com
Xinjiang Desert, Turpan, China
Riding across the desert in Xinjiang, near Turpan, China,
Turpan on the Chinese Silk Road and ancient Yar City
This was can important oasis on the Silk Road and the second lowest place on earth. Yar City was devastated by Gengis Khan and date back to perhaps 100 BC. The ancient buildings of the Uyghur village of Mazar are preserved in the style in which they were constructed.
【K】China Travel-Turpan[중국여행-투루판]실크로드 역사의 현장, 자오허고성/Jiaohe Ruins/Silk Road/Timurid Dynasty/Building
■ KBS 걸어서 세계속으로 PD들이 직접 만든 해외여행전문 유투브 채널 【Everywhere, K】
■ The Travels of Nearly Everywhere! 10,000 of HD world travel video clips with English subtitle! (Click on 'subtitles/CC' button)
■ '구독' 버튼을 누르고 10,000여 개의 생생한 【HD】영상을 공유 해 보세요! (Click on 'setting'-'quality'- 【1080P HD】 ! / 더보기 SHOW MORE ↓↓↓)
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[한국어 정보]
오아시스 도시인 투루판에서 제일 먼저 찾은 곳은 자오허고성. 한 때 번성했던 서역왕국의 왕성이었지만 기원전 1세기 한 무제의 침략에 무릎을 꿇고 13세기 몽골의 침입으로 폐허가 된 곳이다. 방어를 위해 강가 언덕에 세워진 고성 안에는 민간인들의 주거지와 대형 불교사원, 그리고 관청건물 등이 아직도 그 형체를 유지하고 있다. 실크로드의 패권을 차지하기 위해 치열하게 다툼을 벌였던 역사의 현장. 감회가 특별하다.
[English: Google Translator]
The first place is found in the oasis town of Turpan Ancient Zhao allowed. Once flourishing kingdom was flourishing in the West Railway Station is the first century BC It was one of the 13th century Untitled kneeling on the invasion of the Mongol invasion ruined the place. Inside the castles of civilian settlements and a large Buddhist temple, built on a river hill for defense, government offices and buildings it is still maintaining its shape. Beolyeotdeon the scene of fierce struggle to occupy a hegemonic history of the Silk Road. The emotion is special.
[Chinese: Google Translator]
第一个地方是在绿洲城市吐鲁番古赵允许的发现。一旦盛世王国兴盛于西客站是公元前一世纪有人入侵蒙古入侵对13世纪无题跪之一毁了的地方。里面的平民居住和大佛寺的城堡，建在河边小山国防，政府办公室和大楼它仍然保持其形状。 Beolyeotdeon激烈斗争的场面占据丝绸之路霸权的历史。情感是特殊的。
[Information]
■클립명: 아시아037-중국12-07 실크로드 역사의 현장, 자오허고성/Jiaohe Ruins/Silk road/Timurid Dynasty/Building
■여행, 촬영, 편집, 원고: 현상윤 PD (travel, filming, editing, writing: KBS TV Producer)
■촬영일자: 2007년 9월 September
[Keywords]
아시아,Asia,동북아시아,중국,China,현상윤,2007,9월 September,신장웨이우얼자치구,Xinjiang Uygur