Having a glass of chilled kvass or fresh squeezed ice grape juice is just so pleasant
I have finally arrived at the other side of the Anywhere Door - the Karez, the mother river of Turpan and the source of life for the land of fire. The Karez, known in Uyghur as 'Karez', originally means underground water channels, and is a crystallization of the ancient labor and wisdom of the Turpan people. It consists of vertical wells, underground channels, open channels, and reservoirs (water storage pools). On the edge of the basin, several vertical wells are drilled from high to low, and then these wells are connected underground in sequence, bringing water from underground to the surface. Xinjiang originally had 1,784 Karez (more than 600 still exist), with a total length of the underground channels reaching 5,272 kilometers, making it one of the three great ancient cultural projects alongside the Great Wall and the Grand Canal. The first stop of the Turpan day tour is the Karez Paradise located 2 kilometers south of National Highway 312 within the territory of Turpan City, Xinjiang, at the Yar Village. Covering an area of 7 acres, upon entering the gates of the paradise, the first thing you see is the largest hand-washing pot in Xinjiang, the Apotuwa, which stands 4 meters tall and is handcrafted from 100 kilograms of brass. Inside the park, the water flows gently, the trees reach the sky, and the scenery is enchanting. There are pavilions with brightly colored window wall patterns, long green grape corridors, artificial hills surrounded by open channels, lawns as flat as carpets, and a central exhibition hall with its own unique style, making it a refreshing and pleasing sight, like a paradise on earth. Here, Xinjiang's first professional Karez museum is housed, with a circular entrance leading to the underground Karez. The Karez underground channel is covered with glass bricks, allowing us to gain a more profound and intuitive understanding of the history, structure, and function of the Karez. From the underground channel of the most famous Karez in Turpan, the Mihmet Ajim Karez, back to the surface, and returning to the spacious and cool grape corridor, having a glass of chilled kvass or fresh squeezed ice grape juice is just so pleasant. If you happen to visit during the mulberry season, you can buy a basket, sit on the wooden bed under the shade of the poplar trees, enjoy the fruit, and experience the afternoon life of the Uyghur people.