Turpan

An oasis 114 miles southeast of Urumqi, Turpan is accessible only by rail or road. Turpan presents a myriad of colorful faces and ethnic backgrounds. The Uighur and Hui peoples comprise most of the town's predominantly Moslem population. Turpan is best known for its grapes and honeydew melons, but is also rich in historical relics bearing evidence to the importance of the area's links to the Silk Road. The unusual Stone Forest in Lunan, Yunnan Province Places of interest include the Sugong Mosque (also known as the lmin Pagoda or Suleiman's Minaret), the Thousand-Buddha Caves of the Flaming Mountains, and the Gaochang Ancient City, ruins of a once prosperous, strategically important garrison town between the 1st century BC and the 14th century AD.