Flaming Mountain


The Flaming Mountains (Chinese: 火焰山; pinyin: huǒyànshān) or Gaochang Mountains are barren, eroded, red sandstone hills in the Tian Shan of  Xinjiang. They lie near the northern rim of the Taklamakan Desert and east of the city of Turpan. Their striking gullies and trenches caused by erosion of the red sandstone bedrock give the mountains a flaming appearance at certain times of the day.

The mountains are approximately 100 kilometres (60 mi) long and 5–10 km (3–6 mi) wide, crossing the Turpan Depression from east to west. The average height of the Flaming Mountains is 500 m (1,600 ft), with some peaks reaching over 800 m (2,600 ft). The mountain climate is harsh, and the extremely high summer temperatures make this the hottest spot in China, frequently reaching 50 °C (122 °F) or higher. One of the largest thermometers in China—a popular tourist spot—is on display adjacent to the mountain, tracking the surrounding ground temperatures.

A number of important palaeontological remains have been found in the area, see e.g. Lianmuqin Formation and Subashi Formation.

Silk route

In ancient times, the merchant traders traversing the Silk Route in southeast Asia avoided the mountains by stopping at oasis towns, such as Gaochang,  built on the desert's rim at the foot of the Flaming Mountains and  near an important mountain pass. Oasis towns became respite stops for traveling merchant traders. Buddhist missionaries often accompanied traders on busy international trade routes. During this time trade boomed on the Silk Route. Buddhist monasteries and temples were built in the busy trading centers and in nearby remote mountain spots.

The Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves site lies in a gorge under the cliffs of the Flaming Mountains near the pass by Gaochang. It is a complex of seventy Buddhist cave grottoes dating from the 5th to the 9th centuries CE, many with thousands of murals of Buddha.

Literary fame

The Flaming Mountains received their name from a fantasy account of a Buddhist monk, accompanied by a Monkey King with magical powers. The monk runs into a wall of flames on his pilgrimage to India in the popular 16th century novel, Journey to the West, by Ming dynasty writer, Wu Cheng'en. The novel is an embellished description of the monk Xuanzang who traveled to India in 627 CE to obtain Buddhist scriptures and went through a pass in the Tien Shan after leaving Gaochang.

Mythology

According to the classical novel Journey to the West, the Monkey King created a disturbance in the heavens and knocked over a kiln, causing embers to fall from the sky to the place where the Flaming Mountains are now. In a Uigur legend, a dragon lived in the Tianshan Mountains. Because the dragon ate little children, a Uigur hero slew the dragon and cut it into eight pieces. The dragon's blood turned into a scarlet mountain of blood and the eight pieces became the eight valleys in the Flaming Mountains.

Climate

An unconfirmed soil surface temperature of 300.2 °F (149.0 °C) was estimated by satellite measurement in 2008.

Client’s Reviews

  • AussieGlobalTourist

    Reviewed 6thMay2012

    Can't miss these mountains. Was extremely hot, and felt like being in a desert. The mountains weren't flaming but.

  • Rhea W

    Reviewed 30thApril2013

    These mountains are nothing special. They 'flame' when the sun shines on them but there are better mountains with colour in Azerbijain.

  • LLS0811

    Reviewed 23rdSeptember2018

    It's September and yet this place is still hot! Hordes of local tourists didn't make the trip better. And tacky 'Journey to the West' characters erased the wondrous moutain's original nature. I am disappointed that I couldn't catch the changing colours which the mountain is...More

  • loki4yhwh

    Reviewed 18thFebruary2016

    Drove by this mountain on our less than 18 hours in Turpan. Turpan was a train stop on our Silk Road tour from Dunhuang to Wulumuqi and eventually Kashgar and Aletai. So my cousin and I hired a Turpan taxi driver and shared with someone...More

  • Tantiko

    Reviewed 11thOctober2012

    Made famous by it's inclusion in the epic Chinese novel, Journey to the West, the Flaming Mountains is located around the very arid and hot region surrounding Turpan. The sandstone mountain is supposed to exhibit a reddish color at certain times of the day, when...More

  • PlatinumForeverDUS

    Reviewed 4thOctober2013

    One of the sites you definitely have to see during you next trip to Urumqi and this surrounding beautiful area. There arr quite some attractions close by such as camelback riding which may add addiotional costs to such trip ...

  • KelvinPg

    Reviewed 28thSeptember2012

    this mountain was made popular by the movie Journey to The West. the view from the top was breathtaking. you got to see one or two farms and a river among the whole stretch of barren land. climbing up was not easy. those who have...More

  • Carol R

    Reviewed 22ndSeptember2015

    Do not pay the entrance fee to go into the tourist attraction. You can just stand outside and view the mountains from the road. The paid attraction/park offers camel rides, pictures with people in traditional dress, shopping, and a sad history museum. Not worth the...More

  • alikarim

    Reviewed 12thJuly2016

    Not worth paying to see this site, since you can see it easily from the road. Worth stopping to take a few pictures from the main road; but that would be it. The eroded surface is supposed to look like flames, and you can tell...More

  • RacerDarius

    Reviewed 6thMay2013

    If you live in a flat country then this might appeal to you, but it did not interest me at all. It is just a hill of sand that looks like it is on fire when it gets to 50oC hope you enjoy.

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