The green stretch became evident as we entered the city gates. Dotting this well-planned and compact town are hundreds of vineyards, fed by a special irrigation system Karez, a local underground water transportation system.

Called the Grape Valley, this area in and around Turpan has about 220 hectares of vineyards but we had chosen the wrong time of year to see the grapes grow. In the searing heat of May and June, grapes are dried in huge mud brick structures called drying towers. The towers then turn the grapes into raisins that the locals popularly call kishmish.

Consoling ourselves that something was better than nothing, we headed to the house of a farmer who was hosting a meal of kishmish and nan bread (a staple Uyghur food.) The nan bread disappeared as if it was never served as the farmer looked on expectedly, hoping to sell us his vast array of kishmish. His strategy worked as happily fed with nan bread and watermelon, we loosened our pockets without a thought and bought two kilograms of the local specialty.

Driving into Turpan, many roads are shaded by grapevine trellises and paths are lined with benches. Our guide left us wistful when he explained that local Turpan people spend their evenings strolling down the paths or merely sitting, watching the world go by. Sometimes, this beautiful reverie is broken by a dash of impromptu Uygur song and dance, he said, smiling.

A camel and Flaming Mountain in Turpan. Photo: Peter C. Espina

Ancient cities

With the comforting chill of Urumqi a thing of the past, in searing afternoon heat we next set off to Jiaohe, 15 kilometers west of Turpan, a city founded in 2nd century BC and abandoned in the 14th century.