Turpan吐鲁番

Province: Xinjiang
Population: 250,000

Turpan also known as Turfan or Tulufan, is an oasis county-level city in Turpan Prefecture, in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Its population was 254,900 at the end of 2003. Turpan is located about 150 km (93 mi) southeast of Ürümqi, Xinjiang's capital, in a mountain basin, on the northern side of the Turpan Depression, at an elevation of 30 m (98 ft) above sea level. Turpan has a harsh, cold desert climate, with long and very hot summers, winters that are quite cold and moderately long, and brief spring and autumn in between. Annual precipitation is very low, amounting to only 15.7 millimetres (0.62 in). July is the hottest month, averaging 32.2 °C (90.0 °F), while January is the coldest, at −7.6 °C (18.3 °F), for an annual mean of 14.4 °C (57.9 °F).Extremes have ranged from −28.9 °C (−20 °F) to 48.1 °C (119 °F).
Turpan lies in the 2 deepest inland depression in the world with more than 4000 sq km of land below sea level. Anciently called Huozhou (land of fire) its climate has not changed, although a vast tree-planting program to the NW has helped break the wind. Turpan survives with the assistance of karez, covered water channels, which bring melt water from the mountains to the north and west. These merge with the waters of the Tian Shan that, having been absorbed by the desert, resurface at the foot of the Flaming Mountains. However, the very heat and dryness of the summer, when combined with the area's ancient system of irrigation, allows the countryside around Turpan to produce great quantities of high-quality fruit.