I'm alone, running to Turpan

Traveling is sometimes a lively group of people, and sometimes a person's departure.

Starting from Urumqi, the vast Gobi Desert is outside the car window. The sandy horizon stretches all the way. It seems empty, but it seems to be able to accommodate thousands of words. The moment I got off the car, the air was dry and hot. The tour guide had been waiting for me at the exit, and the exploration of Turpan began.

First stop: Karez, the water vein in the desert

Turpan is famous for its heat and water.
Here, water is more precious than gold. But there is a place that allows people to see how humans coexist with drought, that is Karez.

Karez is a water supply project dug underground by the ancients, connecting the snow water of Tianshan Mountain, passing through yellow sand and rock layers, and supplying the life needs of the entire city.

Walking in the tunnel, the sunlight is blocked above the surface, the well water flows, and there are only footsteps and water sounds in my ears, and the whole person is quiet. I am always deeply fascinated by this ancient practical aesthetics.

This is not a building, but a kind of living wisdom, a game between nature and human beings, and the most gentle miracle in the desert.

Second stop: Grape Valley, experience another kind of scenery outside the season

At the end of October, it is not the season for grapes. I knew this long ago. But traveling is never just for "what to see", but also for "where to go".

The vines in Grape Valley have withered and yellowed, and the orchard is quiet. There are no fruits in the shed, only fallen leaves floating in the wind. But I still came, adhering to a famous saying of travelers:

I'm here.

The tour guide took me to visit a local grape family. Raisins were drying in front of the house, the sun shone on the bamboo baskets and mud walls, and a faint sweet fragrance floated in the air.

The host warmly made tea and handed me several different raisins for me to try, from Turpan green to rose fragrance, each with its own taste. The old man smiled and said, "Although it is not the peak season now, it is fate that you are here."

I bought some raisins as souvenirs and as a small souvenir for myself. Maybe the scenery here is not as lively as in summer, but it has a bit more tranquility and authenticity that only autumn can have.
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