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Grape Valley
Grape Valley
"...Grapes in Turpan grow up; Anarhan's heart is ecstatic..." This folk song of the last century is well known in China. Turpan, a place truly flowing with milk and honey in the Turki language, is famous for its fruits. Among them, grape is the most famous.
Every August the sweet air will herald the vintage. The best place to enjoy the grapes is Grape Valley.
Located in the Flaming Mountain 13 km (8 miles) of Turpan, the Grape Valley runs 8km (5miles) from north to south at a width of 0.5km (03.miles). This green paradise of 400 hektares (988 acres) is covered with layer upon layer of grapes.
There is a poetic flavor to the idyllic beauty of the valley. Scattered everywhere in the valley are trees: mulberry, peach, apricot, apple,pomegranate, pear, fig, walnut, elm, poplar and willow; also watermelons and muskmelons, making the valley into a "garden of one hundred flowers" in spring and an "orchard of one hundred kinds of fruits" in summer. In the valley there is a reception center where dense grapevines interweave with each other and winding paths lead to secluded places with clusters of grapes within easy reach.
Grape Valley
8 kilometers long, half a kilometer wide and inhabited by about 6,000 people of the Uygur, Hui and Han nationalities, the Grape Valley has more than 400 hectares of cultivated land, 220 hectares of which is grape-growing area. Grapes growing in the valley are of several strains, including the seedless white, rose-pink, mare-teat, black, Kashihar, bijiagan and suosuo. There is a fruit winery producing several kinds of wines and canned grapes.
Looking at the Flaming Mountains in the distance from the city of Turpan, one can see nothing but glowing, barren red sand. But the Grape Valley of the Flaming Mountains, 15 kilometers from the city center, is a world of unique beauty, presenting a striking contrast with the hot, dry and barren outside.Cushioned by green grass and graced with green trees, the valley is a world of green with brooks, canals and sparkling springs. There is a poetic flavor to the idyllic beauty of the valley. Scattered everywhere in the valley are trees: mulberry, peach, apricot, apple,pomegranate, pear, fig, walnut, elm, poplar and willow; also watermelons and muskmelons, making the valley into a "garden of one hundred flowers" in spring and an "orchard of one hundred kinds of fruits" in summer.
In the valley there is a reception center where dense grapevines interweave with each other and winding paths lead to secluded places with clusters of grapes within easy reach.8 kilometers long, half a kilometer wide and inhabited by about 6,000 people of the Uygur, Hui and Han nationalities, the Grape Valley has more than 400 hectares of cultivated land, 220 hectares of which is grape-growing area. Grapes growing in the valley are of several strains, including the seedless white, rose-pink, mare-teat, black, Kashihar, bijiagan and suosuo. There is a fruit winery producing several kinds of wines and canned grapes.
It seems that all the water in the desert of Turpan flows into the Karez systems in the Grape Valley. Every single grape is crystal and watery-some are as green as emerald; some as red as agate, some as small as pearls while others are like olives. Among dozens of kinds of grapes, Wuhebai (white seedless) grape is reputed as a green pearl with the sugar content as much as 22%.
Escaping from the fiery Flaming Mountain, you may take a seat under the vintage frames, savor various grapes, enjoy the beautiful Uigar girls in their ornate costumes, and be fully intoxicated by this refreshing palace of grapes!
Taking a walk along the grape corridor, you will find drying rooms on nearby slopes. Every year over 300 tons of raisins are made here.
Mellowness penetrates your heart as the sweetness of grapes melts in your mouth. This unique experience in the Grape Valley will leave you with an enduring memory!
When to visit: Every August 25 there is the annual Silk Road Turpan Grape Festival at the Turpan Travel and Culture Square.
How to get there: The easiest way to see many of the sights in the countryside around Turpan is to hire a minibus for the day. This should cost between RMB300-RMB500 for six people and your driver should take you to many of the sights around the area. Drivers cruise the streets of Turpan looking for customers.
Opening Hours: 24 hours in summer; closed in winter
Ticket: 60 rmb
