Flaming Mountain

Flaming Mountain is at the north fringe of the Turpan Basin. It was called Red Rock Mountain for the dark red sandstone dominating the area. Many years of volcanic activity have formed the unique crisscrossing gullies and ravines.

The mountain stretches across the Turpan Basin from east to north measuring 98 kilometers long, 9 kilometers wide. Flaming Mountain was formed around a hundred million years ago. At midday during summer time, the mountain looks like a huge flying red dragon setting off fires in the fiery sun.

According to the Uigur version, a vicious dragon lived in deep Tianshan Mountain and ate little children. A Uigur hero fought gallantly against the dragon for three days and three nights, finally he cut the dragon into eight parts. The remains of the dragon turned to a scarlet mountain colored by its blood. The eight scars turned into the eight valleys in the Flaming Mountain, including the famous Grape Valley.

Flaming mountain is the hottest place in China and highest temperature sometimes climbs to 48 degree centigrade and temperature on the earth face occasionally reaches over 70 degree centigrade. According to the famed Chinese novel Journey to the West, when the Tang monk Xuanzang and his three adherents reached this place, fires raged for hundreds of miles. One of his followers, the Monkey King extinguished the fire with a magical palm fan from Iron Fan Princess.

The foot of the mountain offers a great contrast to the barren, lifeless mountain, where the Grape Gully, Peach Gully, Tuyu Gully are located. These gullies are lush cultivated areas with greenery, flowing rivers.