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Cardinal József Mindszenty
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China facts & history in brief
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Map of China
Turfan
Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Turfan (Uyghur: Turpan, Pinyin: Tulufan) is an
oasis city in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
of the People's Republic of China.
Its population was 254,900 at the end of 2003.
Turfan is a county-level city in Turfan Prefecture, in the
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the
People's Republic of China.
Turfan is located about 150 km southeast of Ürümqi,
Xinjiang's capital, in a mountain basin, on the northern
side of the Turfan Depression, at an elevation
of 98 feet above sea level.
Turfan's climate is harsh, of the arid continental type,
with very hot summers, very cold winters, and minimal
precipitation, which amounts to only 0.9 inch (20mm) per year.
July is the hottest month, with averages highs of 103°F (39°C)
and lows of 77°F (25°C), while January is the coldest,
with highs of 26°F (-4°C) and lows of 4°F (-16°C).
However, the very heat and dryness of the summer, when
combined with the area's ancient system of irrigation,
allows the countryside around Turfan to produce
great quantities of high-quality fruit.
Turfan has long been the centre of a fertile oasis
(with water provided by karez) and an important trade centre.
It was historically located along the Silk Road's northern route,
at which time it was adjacent to the kingdoms of Korla and
Karashahr to the southwest and the town of
Qarakhoja (Gaochang) to the southeast.
Turfan is the source of numerous fragments written
in the Middle Iranian languages (Middle Persian, Parthian,
Sogdian, Sakan and Bactrian) related
to the Iranian religion of Manichaeism.
According to the 2000 census, the city of Turfan had a
population of 251,652 (population density 15.99 inh./km²).
The breakdown by nationality was as follows:
| Nationality |
Inhabitants |
Percentage |
| Uyghur |
177,106 |
70.38% |
| Han |
55,238 |
21.95% |
| Hui |
18,482 |
7.34% |
| Tujia |
182 |
0.07% |
| Manchu< |
132 |
0.05% |
| Tu |
98 |
0.04% |
| Mongol |
77 |
0.03% |
| Tibetan |
70 |
0.03% |
| Kazakh |
56 |
0.02% |
| Miao |
45 |
0.02% |
| Russian |
33 |
0.01% |
| Zhuang |
31 |
0.01% |
| Dongxiang |
30 |
0.01% |
| Others |
72 |
0.03% |
For a more information about
Turfan see Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This page was retrieved and condensed from
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turfan)
see Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, November 2007.
All text is available under the terms of the
GNU Free Documentation License
(see
Copyrights for details).
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
This information was correct in November 2007. E. & O.E.
Hui Chin and I joined a conducted bus tour
from Urumchi to visit Turpan.
It was a very interesting trip and full of drama, as
there was many interesting places to visit and there
was also a number of arguments
on the bus about the tickets and
sights to be visited, the sitting arrangements on the
bus and also about the food and the quality and hygene
standard of the restaurants we have visited.
To cap it all of, my camera's battery ran flat, half
way through, our spare battery and another camera sitting
safely back at the hotel in Urumchi (laughing at our
misfortune), but a few weeks later I had even worst news,
when, after returning home, I found out that two of my
new 2Gigabyte SD memory cards, although seemed to work
perfectly at the time, have invisible pictures on them.
The pictures seem to exist alright,
with all around the 200 plus kilobyte
properties and showing as jpeg pictures, but can't be viewed.
I have lost some very interesting, unusual and irreplacable
pictures of Turpan, Urumchi, Bishkek in Kyrgizstan and pictures
of the countrysides of Kyrgizstan and Kazakstan.
____________o______O_______o____________
Now altough we were there and had our visual and phisical
experiences, I have to take advantage of using Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia's
resources with our greatful thanks. Author.
____________o______O_______o____________
I would like to mention a few things, that was mentioned to us
during our visit to Turpan, but I do not find any mention on
the pages and articles I read before
putting this page together.
Turpan is sited in a basin (Turfan Depression),
at the second deepest hole after the Dead Sea - under
sea level.
(328ft. below sea level).
Turpan is one of the hottest place on earth, due to its
desert location and relative altitude.
Turpan also one of the driest place on earth again due
to it's location and altitude. (This last two points
make it ideal place to grow grapes and other fruit with
the Karez (water) System's help.
Some of Turpan's listed attractions may be 40+ kilometres
away, normally they still will be listed
as Turpan's attraction.
On the way to Turpan from Urumchi our bus stopped at a
fortress, as I lost the many photos I have taken of this
place - as I have explained above, now I can't find any
reference or mention of the place -
can somebody help me, please? Author.
Turpan's main attractions are (Some of these could be
about 40 or so km away, they are usually listed as local
attractions and tour buses from Urumchi etc will visit
them as part of the local sights).
Amin Mosque
Astana Graves or Karakhoje Ancient Tombs
Bezeklik - Thousand Buddha Caves or
Bezeklik Temple Grottoes or
Dunhuang or Mogao Caves
Cresent Moon Lake
Dunhuang or Bezeklik or Mogao Caves or Grottoes
Echoing-Sand Mountain
Ediqut or Jiaohe - Ancient City Ruins
Emin Minaret
Flaming Mountains
Gaochang - Kharakhoja or Qarakhoja
Ancient City Ruins
Green Mosque
Jesus Sutras or the Lost Sutras of Jesus
Jiaohe or Ediqut - Ancient City Ruins
Karez or Qanat water System
Maza Village
Jiaohe or Ediqut - Ancient City Ruins
Mogao or Bezeklik 1000 Buddha or
Dunhuang Caves or Temple or Grottoes
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