Turpan and Urumqi

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Dunhuang

Day 11...


Travel Expenses
*** Total: 168RMB ***
Taxi from Daheyan to Turpan: 10RMB each / 4 person (55km)
Taxi to Jiaohe and back: 18RMB each / 4 person
Entry to Jiaohe Ancient City: 40RMB
Entry to Emin Minaret: 30RMB
Accomodation @ Turpan Guesthouse: 30RMB
Local Transport, Food and Others: 40RMB


*Overland Distance Covered So Far: 4,334km



Our train from Liuyuan to Daheyan, drop off point to Turpan, and finally arriving in the autonomous region of Xinjiang, home to the Turkic ethnic group of Uyghur


Beautiful Daheyan/Turpan train station


Turpan is famous for its grapes


You can find them growing everywhere along the streets


The town looks really beautiful with such natural decorations


Our guesthouse looking good from outside


And the interior decorations are kinda classy too


But cheap dorms are all located in the remote underground area haha


Our simple beds


We had local's momo for breakfast


And Naan is a very popular food here in Xinjiang, cheap and filling!


Some serious bargaining to be done before we set off haha


We went to the ruins of Jiaohe ancient city


It was constructed almost 2,000 years old


Much of the buildings are already beyond recognition of cos, and will take some good imagination to figure out how the city actually looks like in the past






Main street of the city


Various signboards explain what the particular area used to be


What used to be the locals' houses




Small alleys snaking through the buildings






Inside one of the buildings




Still standing city tower


Remains of the old temple


Views of the river valley that the city was built beside, in fact the word "Jiaohe" actually means "intersecting rivers"


Me and George taking in the beautiful sceneries


Interesting palm-shaped hole through one of the walls


Desert lizard


Speakers everywhere through which the admin office will keep reminding us to stay on track


Because they have cameras everywhere catching us! lol


Model of the whole city where u can clearly see the intersecting rivers


Our driver trying to get the car running again!


Back for lunch in town, topped with a chicken head lol


Locals riding donkey carts


They are usually camera shy at first =)


But learning abit of their Uyghur language always goes a long way =)


Beautiful vineyards


Uyghur kids


Entrance to Emin Minaret aka Su Gong Ta


Built in 1777 in honor of the heroic Turpan general, Emin Khoja


Emin Minaret itself


With its tall tower and mosque complex
~ View Picture on Flickr ~


44 metres tall minaret decorated with delicate geometric and floral patterns


Inside of the mosque


Narrow and dark alleys


Within the mosque complex


A huge tomb at the back of the mosque




As well as a graveyard


Dirty toilet even in the mosque!



Day 12...


Travel Expenses
*** Total: 198RMB ***
Taxi to Tuyoq Valley and back: 28RMB each / 3 person
Entry to Tuyoq Valley: 30RMB
Bus from Turpan to Ürümqi: 40 RMB (186km)
Accomodation in Ürümqi: 30RMB
Local Transport, Food and Others: 70RMB


*Overland Distance Covered So Far: 4,520km



Ready to go after a hearty breakfast


We took a half-day trip to Tuyoq Valley


Tuyoq Valley is a small isolated village where Uyghur people still live in their traditional houses


Locals selling fresh mulberries
~ View Picture on Flickr ~




And they are very very cheap!


Me having a fun conversation with the locals


Traditional mud-brick houses to survive the extreme weather in the desert




Some houses have just basic shelters as roofs


Dusty streets and alleys




A small mosque in the village


They kept cows in these small little shelters


As well as sheeps


Small ventilated rooms are used to dry grapes to make raisins




Numerous small cave grottoes at the back of the village


Locals were building a bridge


These kids were following us around the village haha


View from the top of a hill behind the village where you can clearly see the boundary between the desert and the oasis settlement


Nice shot taken by Claus


Aerial view of the village


~ View Picture on Flickr ~


Bricks that were used to make houses


Mulberry trees everywhere


Old Uyghur man


We stopped by the legendary red Flaming Mountains on our way back


I always thought that it was just a creation in the epic story, "Journey to the West". Now I know it is for real!


Back to Turpan town for lunch


We took a bus from Turpan to Uruqmi, passing by some beautiful sceneries


We went passed these spectacular wind turbines built in the middle of the desert


I believe there were at least hundreds, or even thousands of them


Urumqi train station


Finally some luxury in our cheap but wonderful triple room


More kebabs for dinner


Crowded night market


Watch the flame!
~ View Picture on Flickr ~

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Tianchi (Heavenly Lake)