East of Urumqi Tian Shan split into a southern and a northern range, and between the two lie the Hami and Turpan basins. Both basins are below sea level and receive practically no rain so summers are sear- ingly hot. Part of the Turpan Basin is 154m below sealevel - it's the lowest spot in China and the second lowest depression in the world (after the Dead Sea). Turpan holds a special place in Uyghur history, since nearby Gaochang was once the capital of the Uyghurs. It was an important staging post on the Silk Road and was a center of Buddhism before being converted to Islam in the 8th century. During the Chinese occupation it served as a garrison town.
Turpan is also the hottest spot in China -the highest recorded temperature here was 49.6 °C (121.3 °F). Fortunately, the humidity is low - so low that your laundry is practically dry by the time you hang it out! To compensate, Turpan is famous for its grapes and is an important producer of sultanas and wine.
Turpan county is inhabited by about 240,000 people - just over half are Uyghurs and the rest mostly Hah. The centre of the county is the Turpan oasis, a small city set in a vast tract of grain fields and grape vines. Despite the concrete-block architecture of the city centre, it's a pleasant, relaxing place. Some of the smaller streets have pavements covered with grapevine trellises, which are a godsend in the fierce heat of summer. Moving farther out of town, the narrow streets are lined with mud-brick walls en- closing thatch-plaster houses. Open chan- nels with flowing water run down the sides of the streets; the inhabitants draw water from these and use them to wash their clothes, dishes and themselves.
The living is relatively cheap, the food is good, the people friendly, and there are nu- merous interesting sights in Turpan to keep you occupied.
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