foreword

The first time I came to Xinjiang was in September 2020. At that time, Xinjiang had just opened up to the outside world, and a few of our friends met for a trip. I still remember the simple faces of the ancient city of Kashgar, the surprise of looking for hanging gardens with my friends on the small road, and the picturesque scenery on the Pamirs. Every day in Xinjiang is happy. At that time, I said to myself, Xinjiang, I will come again!

In the last month of the first half of 2021, I will go as promised! Hi, Damei Xinjiang, here I come again! This time, my destination is Turpan, the place where the Flaming Mountain in "Journey to the West" really exists! Here, we spent 3 days repeatedly visiting every inch of Karez Paradise, deeply researching Karez in Turpan, and gained new knowledge during the journey. After a few days of visits, it is impossible to become an expert, but I already know more about Karez in Turpan than many Turpan people.

Supplementary explanation about Karez Paradise

First Impressions of Turpan and Karez Paradise

After getting out of the airport, I took a car to the city. Along the way, I saw that many houses were mainly earth-colored. Even the appearance of the hotel we stayed in was earth-colored. It wasn't until I entered Karez Paradise and saw the touch of green that I realized that Turpan is not only earthy, but also has other colors. Turpan has not been as hot as imagined these days, and Karez Paradise in Turpan seems to be much better than imagined. I especially like to sit on the big bed in the scenic area. There is a Karez well below, and there are big trees above to enjoy the coolness. I feel a lot cooler in an instant.

Grapes of Karez Paradise

In Karez Paradise, there is a large vineyard, with ornamental grapes and edible grapes. These vines thrive under the care of the staff of the scenic spot. They climb around and build a natural parasol for the corridors of the scenic spot. Walking under the vines, you will feel that the surrounding temperature will be much lower.

Sometimes when you look up, you can still see the bunches of grapes. Now these grapes are not as big as a fingernail. In about ten days, the grapes here will be ripe. It is said that the scenic spot will process the picked fresh grapes, and tourists and friends can enjoy them directly when they come. It's a pity that I came early, otherwise I would definitely taste the grapes here.

Below the vines, there are many sculptures here, which are especially suitable for punching in and taking pictures. Look at the two Karez craftsmen uncles on the road, one old and one young, holding Karez tools in their hands, standing there like a door god, as if to protect the fruits of their labor --- here are big grapes; there are also some sculptures , some are playing tambourines, some are blowing suona, don’t mention how happy they are; some sculptures are absolutely perfect, they are simply carefully crafted for tourists. Tourists can sit in the arms of the sculptures, put their mobile phones in the hands of the sculptures, and enjoy themselves. Check in and take pictures, no need to worry about going out alone and no one will take pictures for you!

Water in Karez Paradise

To talk about Karez Paradise, you should first understand Karez. The Karez well in Xinjiang has a long history of 2,000 years. It is comparable to the Great Wall and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and is known as the three major projects in ancient China. At the same time, it also has the reputation of "Underground Mother River" and "Fountain of Life". During the heyday of Karez, there were at most 1,838 Karez in Xinjiang, but currently there are only more than 200 Karez with water left in Turpan. 614 of them were collected, including 404 in the Turpan area. In the Karez Paradise, you can clearly see the structure of the three Karez wells, and understand the Karez wells at close range. It is also a rare sight to see the three Karez wells in such a small area.

The entrance to the real Karez of Karez Paradise is actually under the museum. There is a road leading to the ground ten meters above the ground. You can see Karez through the cave. In order to facilitate the entry of tourists, the tunnel has actually made some related modifications. In order to let tourists understand that there is a wide exhibition hall built on the section of this Karez culvert, with the word Karez written on it. We can see that the water in the culvert is flowing slowly towards the outside. Walking along the road, you can find the Miyimu Bayi Karez Well, which is the Karez Well with the best water quality in the Karez Paradise. When you arrive at this place, the tour guide will tell you that the water here can be drunk directly, and I also saw with my own eyes that the staff here went directly to the open water channel to drink water when they were thirsty.

           

Out of curiosity, I also tried a sip. It was indeed sweet and delicious. Although the taste was not as good as that of mineral water, it was much better than boiled water. They also told me such a story, saying that some time ago, on Mother’s Day, tourists who came here would pack a bottle of water and use it as a Mother’s Day gift for their mothers. How high is the water status.

Maybe you are thinking, is this Kanerjing finished in one go? In fact, it is not so fast. This culvert is 100 meters long, and the first shaft, the second shaft and the third shaft can be seen inside. The shaft is very narrow, and the culvert is also very low. It is really not easy to build such a large project. Perhaps just looking at such wells, you will think that this project is very simple, it seems to be some earth holes, but when you understand how the local people build these, you will not say such words. These materials can be further understood through external museums and miniature landscapes.

Miniatures & Models & Museums of Karez Paradise

The miniature model is designed and built by Karez Paradise according to the situation of Karez, which is unique in Turpan. There you can see the distribution pattern of the external karez and some flow directions of the water. It takes a lot of engineering to get the water from the underground canal to the open canal and finally to the waterlogged pond, so that this oasis and the touch of greenness in the earth color come into being.

There are many sculptures next to the miniature landscape, which simulate the scene of working people building Karez. You can see some strong men getting ready to go down from the mouth of the well, and others are burning fire to cast tools. Every sculpture here is very realistic. If you are not paying attention, you may think it is a real person!

Along the miniature landscape and sculpture area, you can reach the museum, which will further deepen your understanding of the structure of Karez. There are not only some current distribution maps of Karez in Turpan, satellite images, but also dynamic models to show the operation of Karez. . There are also a few models that impress me very much. People work in the tunnel kneeling, because the height of the culvert of Karez is usually only about 1.5-1.7 meters, and the adult men in Xinjiang are usually above 1.7 meters, so people It is not possible to straighten your waist in the culvert tunnel.

When you have a general understanding of Karez, I believe that after entering the Karez below, you will have a different feeling. Therefore, when visiting the scenic spot, the tour guide usually takes everyone to the water outlet first, then passes by the miniature landscape, then visits the museum, and finally enters the Karez underground canal. I also visited along this route, and next time you come, you can also go this way. If you feel that you are a little confused just looking at these things, you can ask the scenic spot to arrange a tour guide. The explanation fee is 100 yuan. If there are several people Visiting together, it doesn’t cost much to spread it out. Friends who recommend independent travel can contact the scenic spot to help arrange a tour guide to explain.

People in Karez Paradise

The most memorable thing about Karez Paradise is the people who guard it. Here I met the secretary-general of Xinjiang Karez Research Association and the general manager of Karez Paradise, who has devoted 30 years to the cause of Karez research. This is really a knowledgeable grandfather of old intellectuals. From his words You can feel that he is a cultural person. He has been to many places and read a lot of books. He has devoted almost all his life energy to the research of Karez in Xinjiang and the construction of Karez Paradise. He also has a lot of research results, and has become a recognized expert in Karez research. He is doing things with emotion.

If you are lucky enough to catch the opening ceremony, you can see their figures. If you don’t happen to catch up, then just enjoy the scenery of Karez. But what you must not miss is the lady who sells watermelon juice with a loud voice at the canteen at the Putao Corridor Visitor Center for 5 yuan a cup! But what I told you, Amway, is the yogurt ice cream there, which is really delicious. I ate a full 3 of them that day, which relieved the heat and relieved my cravings!

conclusion