Lying at the base of the western end of Flaming Mountains is a world of unique with vineyards and fruit trees - Grape Valley.
This 8-kilometer (5-mile-) -long, half-a-kilometer (0.3 mile-) -wide gorge, inhabited by about 6,000 people of the Uigur, Hui and Han, 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's-nipple', black, Kashihar, bijiagan and suosuo. Fruit vinery nearby produce purewines and canned grapes.
Bicycle is an ideal choice for the trip to the Grape Valley if you leave early enough to avoid the intense afternoon sun. Trellised walkways overhung with bunches of grapes, and patios with a poetic flavor to the idyllic beauty give you refreshment and relaxation. Scattered everywhere are trees: mulberry, peach, apricot, apple, pomegranate, pear, fig, walnut, elm, poplar and willow; also watermelons and muskmelons. Reception centers where dense grapevines paths lead to secluded places provide visitors places for rest.
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, fifteen 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. 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.
Eight kilometers long, half a kilometer wide and inhabited by about 7,000 people of the Uygur, Hui and Han Nationalities, the Grape valley has more than 400 hectares of cultivated land, 220 of which is grape-growing area. Grape growing in the valley are of several kinds, 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.