Aydingkol Lake contains a high concentration of salt crystals. The lake surface is 505 feet below sea level and it is the lowest lake in China, the second lowest in the world. The water in Aydingkol Lake comes from melting ice and snow on the surrounding mountains and plains. In summer the high temperatures cause the lake water to evaporate quickly and only the southwestern part of the lake is covered with shallow water.

Grape Valley is a valley located on the western slopes of the Flaming Mountains. In ancient times, grapes were introduced to the central plains from the Western Regions along the Silk Road. Turpan, once an important strategic place on the Silk Road, has had 2,000 years of history of grape cultivation. Turpan has a perfect environment to grow grapes. The grapes here have never suffered from plant diseases or pests, so no chemicals or pesticides are applied. Once in history Turpan achieved an output of over 8,800 pounds of seedless white grapes per train cart. Tourists can take a donkey to pull a cart to visit the Grape Valley. They can even enjoy the local minority songs and dances.

Many of the Kan''erjing are distributed mainly in Turpan, Hami, and Kuqa areas. The largest number of subterranean canals, about 1,200 canals in total, resides in Turpan alone. Kan''er means "well." Kan''erjing is the Chinese description of a subterranean irrigation system, which brings water from deep in the ground to the surface. A Kan''erjing is made up of vertical shafts and subterranean canals that surface in the form of ditches and small ponds. A vertical shaft can be as deep as 230 feet and a subterranean canal can be about 6.2 miles long.

The subterranean canals are supplied with water from the melted ice and snow of the Tianshan Mountain. The canals are solidly built so that the water neither overflows nor dries out. The Kan''erjing, along with the Great Wall and the Great Canal, are known as the three largest and most impressive man-made projects of ancient China.
 

The Bizaklik Thousand-Buddha Grottoes are some of the most famous grottoes in Xinjiang, and are situated about 21 miles northeast of Turpan. The earliest of the Thousand-Buddha Grottoes were built in the Tang Dynasty. Only sixty-four grottoes remain today. Most of the paintings in the grottoes have been destroyed, and only a few remain as colorful as they once were. On both sides of many of the statues are two rows of Buddhist scripture written in Han and Huihu, revealing the prevalence of Buddhism in the Western Regions.

Situated in the middle of the Turpan Basin, the Flaming Mountains are called Kiziltag by the local people, which mean "Red Mountains." The mountains stretch 62 miles from east to west and are 6.2 miles wide, ranging up to 1,640 feet in height. They are formed from russet sandstone, conglomerate and mudstone, which sparkle under the blazing sun. They contained the mountain pass to enter the city of Gaochang. Tourists who come to the Flaming Mountains are surprised to see that the valley called the Grape Valley is covered with a large belt of fresh green plants and is right at the foot of the Flaming Mountains.

Situated at the foot of the Flaming Mountains, 24.8 miles southeast of Turpan, are the Ruins of Gaochang City, which was the political, economic, and cultural center of the Western Regions in the first century, when the Han Dynasty garrisoned troops here and set up administrative divisions. Monk Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty preached Buddhist doctrines here. The area of the ruins is 2,152 square feet. Most of the city walls remain and several rammed city gates are still intact. The doors and windows of the buildings inside the city were in vaulted shapes, very similar to the architecture in today''s Turpan.

The Ruins of Jiaobe City, or Yar City, are located 6.2 miles west of Turpan on a raised section between two riverbeds in the Yarnaz Valley Village. Two rivers like a deserted islet surround them. It is a key historical and cultural site under state protection. The remains of the ancient city represent the architecture of post-Tang Dynasty. Tourists can clearly distinguish which are houses, government offices, and temples.