Category: Turpan

Posts related to Turpan and environs.

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What time is it?

While looking at some of the pictures taken in Turpan, my friend asked, “What time of day were the pictures taken?” I replied, “Around mid-day.” I should have added, Beijing time. The next response was, “That’s odd. I wouldn’t have guessed that time because the shadows are long.”

So what’s up? Well in all of China there is only one official time zone, Beijing time, and there is no daylight savings time. In the Xinjiang Province the locals observe an “official” a two hour time shift to avoid getting up in the dark to go to work. But Urumqi and Kashgar are located so far west of Beijing that from a practical matter they are essentially three hours behind Beijing. And, that is why the shadows are long. Noon Beijing time is nine a.m. based on sunrise in western Xinjiang.

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Sam's Journal- Day 9 Turpan

Jul 20.
Our second day includes Gaochang Ruins, Astana Tombs, the Flamming Mountains, Beziklik Caves, make a visit with a family in a local Uyghur village, and see the Karez irrigation system in the Grape Valley. We end up sampling some of the locally produced vine and then have dinner at a local family’s vineyard, dining outside next to thier home.

Interestingly, the niece of the family that is hosting the dinner, is visiting from her home in Austrailia. Everyone does a head snap when she introduces herself and a distinctly Austrailian accent bounds out of her mouth. Her family has left Xinjiang Province to try and establish a better life abroad.

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Sam's Journal- Day 8 Turpan

Jul 19.
The train ride takes longer than we expected. In the morning, we watch as the scenery changes from desert to farmland and finally to an urban landscape. Along the way, evidence of yesterday’s rain and flooding are observed; wash outs, stranded cars, heavy equipment stuck in the mud.

Our disembarkation from the train is uneventful; we are all present and accounted for, along with our lugggage. We climb back into a bus, are on our way, and greeted by our local guide, Dolqun, with a, “I’m tickled pink to be able to be your guide.” Not what any of us expected as a greeting. We share sideways glances with each other and wonder, “What is this all about?” It turns out that Dolqun is practicing his English on us by using one of a couple of hundred English colloquialisms he has compiled. He is sincerely interested in improving his English and in sharing his Uyghur and Muslem culture with us. His second exchange is sharing Nan, a flat bread, with us- delicious.

We check in to the hotel and freshen up and have lunch. Then off to Jiaohe Ruins and Emin Minaret.