As one of the hottest places on earth, Flaming Mountain has always been a famous tourist attraction, with its harsh yet unique natural conditions, as well as abundant cultural heritage.
Located on the northern edge of the Turpan Basin, Flaming Mountain runs 10 kilometers east of Turpan city, stretching up to 100 kilometers from east to west and about 10 kilometers from south to north. The mountain begins at Liusha River in Shanshan County in the east and ends in Peach Valley in the west.
The mountain's average altitude is about 500 meters, with the highest peak, Shengjinkou, towering 831 meters above sea level. Known as Red Rock Mountain in ancient Chinese classics, or Keziletage ("Red Mountain") in Uygur, Flaming Mountain is largely made up of bare rock.
Not a single blade of grass grows on the hills of Flaming Mountain and there are no traces of birds or animals there. When the July sun heats the bare rocks, the blazing air current rolls up like burning flames.
However, its natural allure is not characterized by mere heat. Behind the sterile rock mountains, there are many hidden valleys shaped by diastrophism millions of years ago. The natural conditions of these valleys, which abound with various plants and trees, are quite different. The most famous ones include Grape Valley, Peach Valley, Wood Valley and Shengjinkou Valley. Among them, Grape Valley is best known for producing the best grapes in the country. These "green islands" add extra glamour and diversity to the deserted Flaming Mountain.
Besides its unique natural attractions, the region has always had great cultural traditions. Many historians have penned poems about this mountain. Lying beside the ancient Silk Road, the mountain has witnessed the thriving moments and the abandonment of the ancient commercial road that has linked the East and West for hundreds of years. The famous poet Cen Sen of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) once presented a poem when passing by: "The mountain abruptly appears at the mouth of Chiting; the cloud of the flames pileups in May. The mountain is yet to be inhabited, even birds dare not fly by." In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the famous traveler Chen Cheng also composed a poem on his way through the region: "It's only early spring, but the weather is no different from midsummer." These two lines vividly depict the indistinctive climate in the four seasons on Flaming Mountain. |
