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Flaming Mountain: Hottest Place in China

Location

Turpan, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China.

Reasons to visit

The hottest place in China.

Our Ratings

Opening Hours

Peak season: April 21st~October 20th: 8:00a.m.~9:00p.m.
Dull season: October 21st~April 20th: 10:00a.m.~6:30p.m.

The Flaming Mountain is formed by the orogeny and long-term wind erosion, which form large and small gullies. Nothing grows on the Flaming Mountain. And the reddish-brown mountain looks like flame burning. With annual rainfall of 16.6 millimeters, and the evaporation of 3,000 millimeters, the average surface temperature of the Flaming Mountain is 70℃, and the highest temperature can reach 89℃. Turpan is called the lowest, driest, hottest and sweetest place in China, and Flaming Mountain is the hottest place in China.

Situated on the northern edge of the Turpan Basin, and stretching over 100 km long and 10 km wide, this place is an intensely hot part of the desert without a single blade of grass to be seen for miles. In the severe heat of July, the Flaming Mountains seem to be on fire in the burning sun and become a purplish-brown color. Hot steam rises upwards from the burning cliffs and it is no surprise that this is where the hottest temperatures in China ever, were recorded.

Climate of Flaming Mountain

Flaming Mountain is the hottest place in China. The highest temperature in summer can reach 47.8℃ in Flaming Mountain, and the highest surface temperature can reach 89℃. Eggs can be baked in the sand at the Flaming Mountain.

Turpan is typical continental arid desert climate. Although the annual average temperature is only 14.5℃, the number of days above 35℃ is more than 100 days in a year. The extremely hot weather above 38℃ is as many as 38 days in the Flaming Mountain. The absolute maximum temperature is 49.6℃, which has been measured for many years. And the surface temperature can reach 89℃, which is really the hottest place in China.

What to See at Flaming Mountain

Throughout the Flaming Mountain Scenic Area divided into two parts, an underground scenic spot and ground scenic spot. When visiting to Flaming Mountain, first is to visit the underground scenic area.

Underground Scenic Spot
Construction area of underground scenic spot is 9000 square meters, it includes cultural corridor of “Pilgrimage to the West”, the Geographical cultural department, giant thermometer, Gaochang historical celebrity hall, exhibition hall, leisure shopping center, etc.

Underground core of spot is underground palace, and the underground passage is the cultural corridor “Pilgrimage to the West”, 50 meters long, 6 meters wide, two wall has 24 sculptural relief of the “Pilgrimage to the West”, vivid reproduced the hardships of Tang's monk master Xuanzang and his prentices to go on a pilgrimage for Buddhist scriptures, through many sufferings and finally reached the west.

At the end of the corridor, it is a circular underground palace, is divided into internal and external two circles. Underground in the outer circle has Gaochang historical celebrity hall, exhibition hall, leisure shopping center, Geographical cultural department. Geographical cultural department shows the volcano topography with the volcano miniature sand table, surrounded by walls of murals, anaglyph, writing systematically introduces the local conditions and customs and geographical culture of Turpan region. North of Geographical cultural department is the Gaochang celebrity hall, which has 14 characters statue, these characters are people who are all made historical contributions to Gaochang.

Giant thermometer stand in the center of the underground, this was built on August 16, 2004, the stereo modelling of thermometer, named "golden cudgel".

Ground Scenic Spot

Air-conditioned in underground, the feeling is pretty comfortable, but goes upward to the ground and immediately feels you are in furnace, generally like burning.

In fact, the whole Flaming Mountain is a blast furnace of Chinese alchemy, more than 20 meters in diameter, around the furnace, there are eight lifelike fan fire lad. Place yourself in the underground, you can feel you are put inside the blast furnace by Samadhi fire like Monkey King once have gone through; standing in the earth's surface, you will feel the heat of volcano is blast furnace give off, this image design is quite creative.

Things to Do at the Flaming Mountain

Know about the Stories of the Flaming Mountain

At the Journey to the West, the Monkey King and his team were stopped by the flames of the Flaming Mountain. The Monkey King borrowed the palm-leaf fan from the princess for three times. Finally they put out the fire with the palm-leaf fan and continued their journey to the west.

In China, the Flaming Mountain is usually connected with the Monkey King, Bull Demon King and the Iron Fan Princess. The Flaming Mountain is legendary in the eyes of Chinese. At the Flaming Mountains, you can see the sculptures of the characters in the Journey to the West.

Experience Baking Eggs with Sands

With the high temperature at the Flaming Mountain, eggs can even be baked with the sands. It is an interesting thing to experience in the Flaming Mountain. And the eggs baked by the sands at the Flaming Mountain are unique with special flavor and taste, which are worth trying.

Best Time to Visit the Flaming Mountain

The best time to visit the Flaming Mountain is spring and autumn with comfortable weather and less crowds. The weather in spring and autumn in Flaming Mountain is suitable for outdoor activities in Turpan and enjoy the read color of the Flaming Mountain.

If you visit the Flaming Mountain in summer, please avoid to visit the Flaming Mountain at noon, when it is really hot at the Flaming Mountain. Please protect yourselves from the sun and the heat in Flaming Mountain in summer.

How to Get to Flaming Mountain

Flaming Mountain is about 30 kilometers from Turpan and 10 kilometers from the Gaochang Ancient City, you can take taxi to the Flaming Mountain from Turpan to the Flaming Mountain.