Flaming Mountain, Turpan

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. During mid-afternoon the heat becomes intense as the sun's rays are reflected off the red rocks, as though the hillsides are engulfed by tongues of fire, hence the name.

The mountain stretches across the Turpan Basin from east to north measuring 98 kilometers long, 9 kilometers wide. It located at an altitude of around 500 meters with the highest point of 821 meters close to Tuyugou.

Flaming Mountain was formed around a hundred million years ago. The whole mountain contains nothing more than these reddish slopes and gullies. At midday during summer time, the mountain looks like a huge flying red dragon setting off fires in the fiery sun and temperature can top 55 degree centigrade.

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 reached this place, fires raged for hundreds of miles. One of his followers, the Monkey King extinguished the fire with a magical palm fan whisked from the throat of the ever-protective 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. When autumn comes, these regions feature sweet fruits and ripe melons.

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