So, what has been the purpose of all of the recent posts on Xinjiang? Aside from the obvious merits of the places that I have profiled, I have also been trying to provide you, dear readers, with an understanding of what Xinjiang looks and feels like. Hardly anyone outside of China has even heard of … Continue reading
In my previous writing on Turpan, I alluded to the area being famous for its grapes… Well, they’ve had a lot of time to get it right. There is evidence of grapes being grown around Turpan since at least the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). And the high esteem in which grapes from Turpan are … Continue reading
This scene report may be a thousand years too late, but this is the action in Jiaohe right now… Said to be the largest, oldest and best-preserved earthen city in the world, the remains of the ancient city of Jiaohe are incorporated into an island in the middle of the confluence of two rivers near … Continue reading
It gets hot out here… Situated on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert near Turpan, the Flaming Mountains are well named, if nothing else, for how hot it gets here… In the summer temperatures are routinely over 122 F (50 C). Supposedly, the optical illusion of shimmering light created by the heat rising off the … Continue reading
Located on the outskirts of Turpan, the Emin Minaret and Mosque were constructed in 1777 to honor a military general from Turpan, Emin Khoja (which is where the name derives from). Designed by a Uighur architect, it was constructed using the local materials available at the time – brick and wood. The textured bricks were … Continue reading
Turpan is… Well, it is an ugly city with low quality construction thrown up by the Chinese government: But the people are lively and fun… And I’m laying the groundwork for a broader discussion of the region. For that effort to make sense, it will help to understand the people and how things look in … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 