Grape Valley & Tuyuq Valley

Grapes were introduced to Turpan over 2,000 years ago,including the green,elongated”mare-nipple” variety.Together with Turpan melons and vines,they formed an essential part of the kingdom’s tribute to the Tang imperial court at Chang’an,where the fruit arrived fresh and tender,transported in lead-lined boxes packed with snow from the Heavenly Mountains.

Lying at the base of the western end of the Flaming Mountains,in a green valley 12 kilometers northeast of the oasis,is a pleasant public park with vineyards and fruit trees,There are trellised walkways overhung with bunches of grapes,and patios with tables for relaxing and eating the grapes and melons.A small,tart grape first comes out in mid-July,following by the “mare-nipple”and the red and black grapes in August,Mulberry,fig,apple and pear trees also bear fruit in season.Running at the foot of the mountains is spring.The cool water is safe to drink and refreshing.

Tuyuq,a peaceful,ancient village is situated 70 kilometers east of Turpan in a lush gully carved into the Flaming Mountains,It is surrounded by vineyards and famous for its oval-shaped seedless grapes,the raisins of which are well-known in Bijing,Albert Von Le Coq dicovered the ruins of Buddhist cave temples here in 1905,”clinging  like a swallow’s nest to the almost perpendicular slope of the mountainside”.These caves are thought  to be the oldest in the Turpan area and date from the fourth century.Part of the monastery perched atop one of  the cliffs fell into the gorge in 1916 duriing an earthquake.Von Le Coq found a monk’s cell,with Persian architectural influences,containing numerous eighth- and ninth-century religious texts and beautiful embroideries.

Tuyuq is a beautiful,timeless village with a friendly Auger community.The mosque is on the road cutting between the lush vineyards up to the cemetery,behind which runs the gorge and the caves.Its dome is visible behind the green valley and mud-brick houses.The caves are located one kilometer upriver in the gulley.Over 40 have been carved into the soft dirt  and rock surrounding the gulley,amidst verdant vineyards and the rugged backdrop of the Flaming Mountains,Only nine caves contain traces of frescoes,three of which are locked(now,the whole caves are close.).