Flaming Mountains Scenic Area

The Flaming Mountains are situated along National Highway 312 in Gaochang District, Turpan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on the northern edge of the Turpan Basin and the northern route of the ancient Silk Road. They run in an east-west direction, located ten kilometers east of Turpan City, 183 kilometers from Urumqi, ninety-eight kilometers east of Shanshan County, 324 kilometers from Hami City, 450 kilometers south of Ruoqiang County, and 290 kilometers north of Qitai County.

The Flaming Mountains Scenic Area stretches westward from the Chiting of the Tang Dynasty, located over thirty kilometers from the county seat, all the way to the area more than fifty kilometers west of the county seat where it connects with Turpan. The Flaming Mountains are internationally renowned due to the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, and they divide Shanshan into two green belt zones — north and south.

In Journey to the West, the Flaming Mountains refer to the Flaming Mountains Scenic Area in Turpan, Xinjiang. The Flaming Mountains Scenic Area in Turpan, Xinjiang, is located on the northern edge of the Turpan Basin in Xinjiang, known as the “Red Stone Mountain.” It lies along the northern route of the ancient Silk Road and was referred to as the “Volcano” during the Tang Dynasty. There are two main reasons behind the formation of the Flaming Mountains: one is underground coal spontaneous combustion, and a rare period of high annual rainfall created the high temperature and dry conditions that make it a natural wonder in the region. Locally, the Flaming Mountains are called “Kiziltagh,” meaning “Red Mountains.” On the road from Turpan eastward to Shanshan, there are over 100 kilometers of winding red peaks.