Turpan - our entry point into Xinjiang

Leaving Dunhuang, we caught a horrible horrible 7-8 seater bus which took a bumpy dirt road to the train station Liuyuan 2 hours away. tianrong was already not feeling, and it was made worse with the constant sensation of his full bladder slamming against his pubic bones. From Liyuan, we caught an overnight hard sleeper train to Turpan, arriving in Turpan at 6am in the early morning.

Emin Minaret in Turpan

The fascinating Jiaohe Ruins of a lost city .. remarkably well-preserved, and it stands as an UNESCO world heritage site.
Sunset at the Jiaohe Ruins
The lush valley beneath the treacherous Flaming Mountains...
The flaming mountains of Turpan.. supposedly the reddish colour will be accentuated by the summer heat, so it doesn't quite show up this early in spring.

The legendary figures of Journey to the West in relation to the Flaming Mountains.

Tuyoq - the lush valley housing an entire community
A local mosque within the community in Tuyoq
A pleasant Uighur (the predominant ethnic group in Xinjiang) girl - very photogenic.
Our favourite past-times in Xinjiang.. at least before I came down with acute infectious colitis- munching on gazillions "rou chuan" or meat-kebabs. Yummy.. E-coli galore.