Grape Valley is located in Grape Township of thecity of Turpan，about 15 kilometers northeast ofthe central city district of Turpan and is a valleyin the western section of Huoyan（flame）Mountainknown for grape cultivation.
Grape Valley is about 8 kilometers in length fromnorth to south and 0.6 to 2 kilometers wide from east towest with a narrow shape and smooth terrain.Steep cliffsrise on either side of the valley like protective screens.A stream carrying good-quality water flows through thevalley.Grape trellises have been erected on both sides ofthe stream and they are covered with grapes.The surroundingarea is thickly covered with white poplars interspersedwith grass，flowers and fruit trees that the localresidents have carefully planted in rows on the gentleslopes.
Walking into Grape Valley is like walking into a coolnew world.Nearly a hundred grape vines the thicknessof a bowl are on the cement grape trellises，whichare densely covered in leaves and bunches of glitteringgrapes.
The people of Xinjiang say，“People praise the grapesof Turpan，the musk melons of Hami，and the fragrant pears of Korla and the pomegranates of Yecheng are thebest.”This saying mentions the areas where the four mostfamous fruit varieties are grown in Xinjiang，and Turpanstands at the top of the list.The Turpan Basin has a longhistory of grape cultivation and has a high reputation athome and abroad.Ancient records indicate that grapesand melons have been grown here for over a millennium.
Over two thousand years ago Zhang Qian of the WesternHan Dynasty discovered grapes here on a mission to theWestern Regions and spread the cultivation eastward.
In the History of the Ming Dynasty：Mission to the West，itis recorded，“There were peaches，pears，jujubes，melonsand gourds，but the most numerous were grapes.”Theancient Notes from the Journey West records that Turpan“produces wheat，millet and flax，with varieties of melons，watermelons and grapes being the most numerousand all of such fine quality that they are second to none.”
In the local Uyghur language Grape Valley is known as“Bujluq，”meaning a land where grapes are numerousand fine in quality.There are 13 main varieties grownhere，including seedless green grapes，red grapes，andKashmir grapes.The shape of the grapes includes round，egg-shaped and oval varieties.Some are sparkling likepearls，some are brightly colored like agate，and some aregreen like jade.Grape Valley thus resembles a grape museum.
Of particular note are the seedless green grapes，which have thin skins and tender flesh.They are juicy，delicious，and nutritious，causing people to compare themto pearls.They have a sugar content of 20–24%，surpassingthat of California grapes and becoming highest in theworld.Raisins made from the seedless grapes can have asugar content of over 60%，making them tart，sweet，anddelicious.They have a high reputation on the internationalmarket and are known as“green pearls of China.”
In the central part of Grape Valley below the east cliffwall is a grape orchard covering over 50 mu in area.This isa major Turpan tourist attraction for domestic and overseasguests opened in 1982 following the government’s institution of the reform and opening up policy.The orchardcontains small bridges and flowing water，ancienttowering trees，cool sweet fountains，ponds of limpidwater，row after row of grape trellises forming green corridors，wide and tranquil green paths，clean and elegantrestaurants and myriads of small stalls selling carefullymade handicrafts and tourist souvenirs.The manybunches of ripe grapes within arm’s reach are sparkling，transparent and fragrant.When the Uygurs perform theirtraditional dance under the grape trellises，young Uyghurgirls enthusiastically invite guests to participate and jointhe fun.Friendly hosts pick bunches of fresh grapes forvisitors to taste.
Snow melt from Tianshan Mountains has been directedto flow through the valley and the sound of the tricklingwater through Grape Valley gives it a special spirit and atthe same time waters the terraced fields on the two sidesof the valley.Anyone who comes to Turpan and doesn’ttry the sweet refreshing grapes of Grape Valley will neverappreciate the cool side of the scorching Turpan Basin.
