Turpan Wine Route
Turpan is one of the hottest and driest places on Earth, yet wine has been made here for 2,000 years. The secret? Karez - ancient underground irrigation channels that bring mountain snowmelt to the desert. Vines are buried in winter to survive, creating a unique viticultural calendar.
Map
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Stops
- 1🗺️
Turpan Grape Valley
Historic grape-growing oasis in China's hottest, lowest depression. Table grapes have been cultivated here since the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). Walk through traditional grape-drying houses where green grapes become golden raisins.
tour $ - 2🍷
Loulan Winery
Named after the ancient Silk Road oasis city of Loulan, this winery produces wines from Turpan's extreme desert climate. The 2,300-year history of viticulture in Xinjiang meets modern winemaking.
tasting $$ - 3🍷
Silk Road Winery Turpan
Proudly bearing the Silk Road name, this winery embraces Turpan's role as the eastern terminus of the ancient trade route. Extreme heat and cold create unique wine styles.
tasting $$ - 4🗺️
Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves
Buddhist cave complex from 5th-14th centuries carved into cliffs above the Mutou River valley. Murals show wine consumption in Buddhist rituals before Islamic conversion.
tour $ - 5🗺️
Jiaohe Ancient City Ruins
UNESCO World Heritage site - largest and best-preserved earthen city in the world. This 2,000-year-old garrison town controlled the Silk Road wine grape trade through the Turpan Depression.
tour $ - 6🍷
Citic Niya Turpan Vineyard
Premium producer from China's largest wine company (Citic Guoan Wine). The Turpan vineyard produces some of Xinjiang's most internationally recognized wines from extreme desert terroir.
tasting $$$