Tuyugou Grand Valley

The Tuyugou Great Canyon is about 8 kilometers in length and spans an average width of about 1 kilometer. In the great canyon, itself stands the highest peak of the Flame Mountain Range with an altitude of 831.7 meters. The canyon, running in a north-south direction, cuts the Flame Mountain Range into two halves. The view of these majestic mountains with their distinctive, layered appearance – reflecting differences in temperature and in the soil's physical properties – ending in snow-capped peaks silhouetted against deep-blue skies, is an experience to be envied.

The Tuyugou Great Canyon was previously a so-called box canyon: both the north as well as the south end of the canyon ended in a cliff from which there was no way in or out. Today, thanks to the miracles of modern engineering, the cliffs that formerly boxed the canyon in now permit China National Highway 312 (aka Route 312, currently being expanded into a freeway, G312, in many places), which spans the breadth of China from Shanghai in the east to the farthest extremes of the Gobi Desert in the west, to pass through the Tuyugou Great Canyon.

Tuyugou, which means "small, impassible valley", is the phonetic transcription of the canyon's name in the Uighur language. For ages, owing to the steep walls of the canyon combined with the lack of a passageway at either end, people failed to take in the "wholeness", or unified appearance, of the great canyon, being consigned instead to observing only details. It was first in 1992 that a simple highway dubbed the "Connected Hearts Road" was built, finally opening up the canyon to a unified view. Today, when you stand on the highest point of the "Connected Hearts Road" atop the mountain range and look downwards, you will see a meandering mountain road zig-zagging across a valley floor a thousand feet below and a slowly-flowing meadow stream edged with green grass.

The east and west walls of the Tuyugou Great Canyon have always been called "the natural firewalls". Here, the heat can reach temperatures as high as 60 degrees Celsius, one of the highest recorded temperatures on earth. The mountains on either side of the canyon's walls are painted in a variety of colors, the shades of which change with the shifting state of the weather. The meadow stream on the valley floor flows gently southwards, its waters, fed by the runoff from the mountains, remaining cool and refreshing.

According to another mythological legend, the goddess Nu Wa, observing that the earth's cardinal points had shifted, creating a hole in the sky and thus exposing the realm of the living to danger (there being 3 realms: heaven, hell, and that of the living), melted the right combination of stones in order to patch the hole in the azure sky.

If ever there was a spot of blue sky deserving of being mended, it would surely be that which provides an azure backdrop for the network of canyons in the Flaming Mountain Range, with their earthy reds, yellows, browns, greens, and blacks!

Tuyugou Mazha Village

Tuyugou Mazha Village is situated at the Grand Canyon of Tuyugou, which is by far the oldest Xinjiang Uygur village. It is also a most mysterious place where varied kinds of world-famous religions coexist. The integrity of the old traditional and folk customs of Uygur is completely well preserved there. Hence, you can feel the authentic and exotic culture by yourself.

With a history of more than 1,700 years, it is known as a "Chinese historical and cultural village". Raw soil building of the village (the peculiar building style of Xinjiang) still represents the radiance of "yellow clay culture". Due to its important religious role, up to now, there are still some sacred places that attract a large number of domestic and overseas Muslim pilgrims. The village is an important place for religious and historical scholars to study. It is also the home for photographic artists who would like to achieve their dreams. At any rate, it is a worthwhile destination for tourists to appreciate the ancient folk culture of Xinjiang.

According to the record of the German explorer Feng- Le Keke, until the early 20th century, there had been a large number of Muslims who were from Turkey, India and other places of the world.