Gaochang (Turpan)

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Location of Gaochang District (pink) in Turpan City (yellow)
View of the Tuyoq village

Gaochang ( Uighur قاراھوجا رايونى, Ⱪaraⱨoja Rayoni ; Chinese  高昌 区 , Pinyin Gāochāng Qū ) is a district of the district-free city of Turpan in the Uyghur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang in the People's Republic of China . Gaochang is on the northern route of the Silk Road . The city district has an area of ​​13,650 km² (according to own information: 15,738 km²) and approx. 255,000 inhabitants (end of 2003).

Administrative structure

At the community level, Gaochang consists of three street districts , five large parishes and four parishes . These are:

  • Greater community Daheyan大河沿镇
  • Greater community Qiquanhu七泉湖镇
  • Greater community Aydingkol艾丁湖镇
  • Greater community Yar (Ya'er)亚尔镇
  • Putao Municipality 葡萄 镇

geography

The Gaochang district is located on the northern edge of the Turpan Depression . The depression lies at its deepest point, the shore of Lake Aydingkol , at 154.5  m below sea level .

Ethnic breakdown of the population of Gaochang (2000)

The 2000 census counted 251,652 inhabitants in Gaochang (population density 15.99 inhabitants / km²).

Name of the people Residents proportion of
Uighurs 177.106 70.38%
Han 55,238 21.95%
Hui 18,482 7.34%
Tujia 182 0.07%
Manchu 132 0.05%
Do 98 0.04%
Mongols 77 0.03%
Tibetans 70 0.03%
Kazakhs 56 0.02%
Miao 45 0.02%
Russians 33 0.01%
Zhuang 31 0.01%
Dongxiang 30th 0.01%
Others 72 0.03%

climate

Continental climate with extremely hot summers and cold winters, the annual precipitation is only 16 mm. Due to the location of the basin, there are often very strong winds. Gaochang is the hottest place in China, the average temperature on the hottest days is around 36–39 ° C, the daytime temperatures are over 43 degrees Celsius. At night in summer it is rarely cooler than 25 ° C.

economy

The oasis is watered through centuries-old, underground channels ( qanats ), which bring melt water from the high mountains of the Tian Shan about 70 km away . The beginnings of this irrigation system go back to ancient times. Mainly melons and grapes, which are dried to make raisins, are grown. Since the population is predominantly Muslim, only a small proportion of the grapes are processed into wine.

Attractions

  • picturesque paths shaded by vine trellises;
  • the Emin minaret , which was built around 1776 from unfired clay.
  • in August, the focus is on the grape festival. Wine and seedless grapes are sold, and grapes are hung up to dry in the specially built drying houses outside Turpan. After 20 days in the dry air, 50 tons of grapes have become about 5 tons of raisins.
  • the ruins of the ancient city of Kocho
  • the Thousand Buddha Caves of Bäzäklik not far from the Flaming Mountains
  • the Astana tombs

See also

Web links

Coordinates: 42 ° 56 '  N , 89 ° 10'  E