Turpan City (pop 254,900)

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

The People’s Republic of China

September 27, 2016

Turpan is the “Raisin Capital of China.”  In a country of one and a half billion people, the Capital of Anything is impressive.

In the Turpan Depression, the winter temperatures are below frigid.  But in summer the sun bakes the land.  Apparently, the local crops thrive in the extreme heat.  The sugar content of the grapes (and melons) increases dramatically.   

Turpan

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

September 29, 2016

Hello,

A drive through the Flamimng Mountains.  

Lunch in a remote mountain town.

A final scurry across the desert.  

What better way to end a five week journey in China?

Turpan City

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

China

September 27, 2016

What better way to appreciate and capture the essence of a place * than to stroll along its boulevards and to wander through the markets?

Turpan is buzzing with activity.  The streets are filled with fast moving vehicles that are decidedly Chinese in design.  Battery operated motorbikes or hybrid automobiles or low emission trucks and buses compete for space with a host of creatively designed mini-cars that can carry a small amount of freight or a family.  Now in late summer, the motorized carriages are all open air.