【Preface】
When you mention Turpan, Xinjiang, what do you think of? I think most people are like me. Before going to Turpan, the first impression is the "Flame Mountain" in "Journey to the West". There are Xinjiang girls and boys who are good at singing and dancing, and the temperature is very high. , the special climate and the long day and short night environment also make Turpan's grapes and cantaloupe fruits very sweet. But dear friend, you know what? In Turpan, besides the Flame Mountain, there are many places worth checking in. Karez Paradise is a treasure scenic spot worth checking in.
Karez Paradise, containing the crystallization of ancient wisdom
Xinjiang Karez has a long history. It is comparable to the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and is collectively known as the "Three Great Humanities Projects in Ancient China".
As the birthplace of Karez in Turpan, there are many Karez here, and the most representative one is Karez Paradise. Turpan in summer is actually very dry, but Karez Paradise is still green, like an oasis in the desert. Full of vigor and vitality, strolling along the grape corridor, you can touch the sweet grapes as soon as you stretch out your hands. In addition to vineyards and other orchards, you can see local folk customs elements everywhere.
There are three Karez wells flowing in Karez Paradise, namely: Miimu Bayi Karez, Ying Karez, and Postek Karez. Among them, Posttek Karez, which has become a seasonal Karez, has been funded by the Karez Research Association to restore normal water flow from 2020 to 2021, and the other two Karez are active Karez with water.
From today's perspective, a verdant paradise is very common in cities with abundant water, but rare in dry environments. This highlights the invaluable features of Turpan Karez Paradise. Only the Postak Karez, which has been dry and without water for 15 years, has been restored after more than a year of hard work funded by the Xinjiang Karez Research Association. This also reflects the results of the hard work of the Karez Research Society. On such a hot summer day, it is very warm and cozy to have such a place full of greenery.
Check in the Karez Paradise Museum to experience the glory of Karez
The museum displays various precious pictures, dynamic models of the longitudinal slope of Karez, relief paintings telling the story of Karez, and various objects and tools related to Karez.
What impresses me the most is the "winch wheel". When the Karez craftsmen go down to the bottom of the well, a strong young man will sit on the winch frame first, use the pedals to control the descending speed, and then put the craftsman to safety. It is sent to the bottom of the well hundreds of meters away, and it is also used to accumulate energy to lift the earthwork. From here, we can see the wisdom of the ancients. At that time, the current mechanical principles were used, and it was a very advanced lifting equipment.
In the museum, we will also learn that the wisdom of the ancients in Karez lies in the design, and the structure and components of Karez are displayed. Karez is composed of five parts: shaft, culvert, water outlet, open channel and dam. The largest number of Karez wells in Xinjiang reached 1784 (2003), mainly distributed in Turpan and Hami. There were 1,237 Karez wells in Turpan at most, and the geographical location of Turpan also provided geographical advantages for the excavation of Karez wells.
The Tianshan Mountains in the northern part of the Turpan Basin have abundant annual precipitation. After the annual precipitation and melted snow flow out of the mountain pass, they seep in the alluvial fan area in front of the mountain to form a rich orographic undercurrent. Due to the topographical conditions in the north and south, the underground undercurrent flows southward In the middle of the basin, due to the blocking effect of the flame mountain on the underground underflow, the groundwater level rises, part of the underflow emerges from the surface in the form of spring water in the oasis north of the flame mountain, and the other part of the underflow seeps downstream through several canyons of the flame mountain, making In the south of the Huoyan Mountains, abundant groundwater sources are also formed.
Our ancestors used their wisdom and hard work to invent Karez wells according to the topography and hydrogeological conditions of the basin, which led the groundwater out of the surface without any power, and solved the problems of production, domestic and ecological water use. Karez has open channels and hidden channels, and the part of the channel from the water outlet of Karez to Laoba is called Karez Open Channel. At the end is the waterlogging dam of Karez. The function of the waterlogging dam is to store water and heat up the water. When the gate of the waterlogging dam is opened to irrigate the crops, the flow and velocity of the water will increase and the irrigation time will be shortened.
The entrance of the Karez Underground Canal is directly designed in the museum. A spiral descending channel will be sent directly to the Karez Underground Canal. When it is 10 meters above the ground, it will reach the part of the Karez Underground Canal. The further you go in the summer, the cooler it is, and the warmer it is in winter. Cool in summer, more useful than installing an air conditioner. The decoration and design are also very distinctive. We all took a lot of photos inside, which can blow up the circle of friends. Moreover, the water flowing out of the outlet of Karez well can be drunk directly, which is very clean.
Vineyards, a gallery in a dream, like a fairyland in a dream
In Turpan, what I have to mention is the local grapes. If you like all this, you can visit the vineyard with me. It is like a gallery in a dream, very dreamy.
In midsummer, when the grapes are officially ripe, the vineyards composed of large and small grape corridors hide countless photo spots, and you can directly enter the vineyards along the corridors. Hanging under the leafy vines are clusters of mouth-watering grapes. For the sake of viewing the scenic spot, it’s good to take pictures here, so don’t pick them.
Walking on the grape corridor, watching the sun hit the grapes, the grapes hang like transparent emeralds, shining brightly. No matter how you shoot it, it looks good. I also like to eat an ice cream inside. I don’t know if the scenic spot is too interesting. The seemingly ordinary ice cream feels particularly delicious under the vine, which is just as pleasing to the eye.
People in Turpan live in vineyards, and the place where there are grapes is the home of Turpan people. The grapes here are in pieces, and it is a "city" made of grapes. The tallest grape tower in Turpan, the grapes have already reached the top of the tower. Best gift here.
There are many styles of Turpan in the scenic area, and there will always be small surprises. The pagoda-style architectural design and houses, the gadgets for sale, and the curtains made of gemstones. Our dark dream. It's like falling into a dream... always, very romantic, and it's perfect to bring your favorite people here.
Xinjiang Uyghur folk customs, exotic customs worth experiencing
On the desolate, barren and dry land, we can always learn about the wisdom of the Turpan people, otherwise how could we have developed such an amazing water conservancy project like Karez. What we all know is that we have many ethnic groups, and it is not enough to experience the local ethnic minority customs without staying there for a few days. This time I was very lucky to live in a local characteristic homestay when I arrived in Turpan.
Uyghurs are one of our ethnic minorities. Uyghurs, who are hospitable and good at singing and dancing, usually build houses with civil structure one-story houses. The houses with good economic conditions are exquisite, with corridors, and carved or drawn patterns. Ordinary dwellings and other architectural structures and decorations have unique and strong ethnic characteristics. For example, the homestays are covered with domes, and there is a small tower in the middle, where hospitable Uighurs will dance and sing here. The appearance of the buildings looks magnificent, simple and gorgeous. Solemn, with great regional characteristics, it gives people a refreshing feeling.
When visiting Karez Paradise, you can directly feel the enthusiasm of the Uighur compatriots in Xinjiang. They not only can perform songs and dances, but also want to share the sweetest cantaloupe with you. You can also join them to dance and carnival at any time. The happy atmosphere here will definitely let you Forget about your troubles in an instant.
I like the architectural style of Karez Paradise very much. Whether it is relief, lacquer painting or woodcut patterns, they are all very delicate, unique, colorful and distinctive. Walking here in Uyghur costumes seems to be a real Uyghur.
Turpan on the tip of the tongue
It coincides with the long days and short nights in Turpan. During the day, the temperature here is extremely high, exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. When night falls, high-frequency resonance will occur in the Turpan Grape Paradise Night Bazaar. , both male and female old Sha can find what they like here, and have a taste of Turpan on the tip of their tongues.
There are many fruits in Turpan, the taste is very sweet, and the food is also very good. I especially like to eat lamb skewers, which are completely different from the lamb skewers I eat in other places. The meat is very tender and has a unique flavor. I ate several skewers in one go, very delicious. The sheep is really full of treasures. In addition to the mutton skewers, the sheep's hooves and horns are also very delicious. They are placed on the plate one by one, waiting for everyone to eat.
I have always wondered how to make ordinary chicken so delicious. It is made of chicken nuggets, potatoes, mushrooms, etc. The potatoes are glutinous and sweet, and the chicken is tender, spicy and refreshing. People can't stop eating it. Have you ever eaten buns, I know you must have, but have you ever eaten baked buns, the inside is filled with mutton, the crispy outer skin and the mutton inside are a must How did you refuse the food?
Turpan's barbecue is also very famous, grilled lamb kidneys, and grilled vegetarian dishes that girls love to eat. In any case, the food here is a paradise for foodies like us. Well worth checking in.
There are 56 ethnic groups in our country. Maybe when you mention Turpan, our understanding is probably only the knowledge in books. Maybe when you mention Uyghur, you will think of singing and dancing performances, and you will think of a lot. Let's check in Turpan together in this midsummer, and feel the charm of the great Karez!
