Tuyoq Valley

　　Tuyoq Valley is located in Shanshan County, approximately 55 kilometers east of Turpan City. It was once a sacred site for both Buddhism and Islam. The Thousand Buddha Caves of Tuyoq: Traveling 15 kilometers eastward along the southern foothills of the Flaming Mountains from Shengjinkou will bring you to the Thousand Buddha Caves of Tuyoq. There are a total of 94 caves here, 45 of which remain. There are 21 caves on the eastern side of the valley and 24 on the western side.

　　　Tuyoq Grand Canyon is one of the most mysterious places in the West and an intersection of the historical and cultural heritage of various major world religions. Today, the Thousand Buddha Caves of Tuyoq and the Khoja Mazar of Tuyoq are powerful testimonies to this. Tuyoq Mazar Village, which has been named a “China Historical and Cultural Famous Village,” is the oldest surviving Uyghur village in Xinjiang, with a history of over 1,700 years. It still preserves the most ancient folk customs of the Uyghur people and is known as a “living fossil of folk culture.” The ancient earthen buildings in the village still shine with the brilliance of “yellow clay culture”; it is a sacred place revered by Muslims at home and abroad, a resting place for scholars in the fields of religious, historical, cultural, and artistic studies, and a dreamland for painting and photography artists. It is also the filming location of the Best Children’s Film award winner at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival, “The Drummer from Flaming Mountains.” Scenery: The Tuyoq Grand Canyon Folk Culture Tourism Area, anciently known as Dinggu, has long been famous for its steepness, ruggedness, wonder, and seclusion. It mainly consists of four parts: canyon scenery, the Thousand Buddha Caves, the Mazar, and the ancient village.

　　(1) Tuyoq Grand Canyon Scenery.

　　　　The canyon stretches 8 kilometers from Subexi Village near National Highway 312 (where the Subexi Cultural Site, one of Xinjiang’s three major ancient cultures, is located at the northern mouth of the grand canyon) in the north to the entrance of the ancient Mazar Village in the south, with an average width of about 1 kilometer. The highest peak of the Flaming Mountains, standing at an elevation of 831.7 meters, is located within the grand canyon. The canyon cuts through the Flaming Mountains longitudinally from north to south.

　　The distinctly colored rock formations of the mountain are clearly visible, and the miraculous craftsmanship of nature is truly astounding. Walking along the path, one can enjoy the magical and spectacular canyon scenery. The danger of its peaks, the strangeness of its mountains, the majesty of its rocks, the beauty of its colors, the elegance of its streams, and the sweetness of its fruits are all rare among other canyons in the world.

　　(2) Tuyoq Thousand Buddha Caves.

　　　　Located in the middle section of the canyon, the caves were carved during the Jin Dynasty and the Sixteen Kingdoms period and are one of the three famous Buddhist grottoes in Xinjiang. They were among the first group of autonomous region-level cultural heritage sites announced by the Xinjiang Autonomous Region in 1957. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, the Tuyoq grottoes were one of the key Buddhist sites managed by the ruling elite of the Gaochang Kingdom. By the Tang Dynasty, the Buddhist caves on both sides of the Tuyoq Grand Canyon had further developed, and the Buddhist mural art within each cave had reached a new stage. According to the Tang Dynasty document “The Illustrated Scripture of Xizhou,” unearthed from the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Tuyoq at that time was described as a heavenly paradise on earth. “The Illustrated Scripture of Xizhou” describes it as follows: “In Tuyoq, temples are spread out along the mountain terrain. They lean against perilous peaks, overlook clear streams, and are surrounded by green trees. Temples and meditation monasteries are densely packed, with the sounds of Buddhist chants drifting through the air, incense burning continuously, and monks gathering in large numbers. As one walks deep into the valley, it is difficult to see the sun or the moon.”

　　Over the more than 1,700 years since the Tuyoq Thousand Buddha Caves were carved, they have undergone two stages: human destruction and natural collapse. Currently, there are 94 caves, 46 of which are numbered, and only 8 caves still have remaining murals. The surviving cave murals still showcase the charm of ancient civilization, attracting the attention of scholars and experts from around the world who study the history of Buddhism and Buddhist art. They serve as historical evidence and physical materials for the study of China’s Buddhist literature and history, Buddhist art history, and ancient architectural history, holding immeasurable historical and artistic value.
　　The Tuyoq Thousand Buddha Caves were anciently called the “Dinggu Temple” and are among the earliest grottoes built in the Turpan region, with a relatively large number of well-preserved early murals. The earliest caves appeared during the Jin Dynasty and the Sixteen Kingdoms period. The period when the Juqu clan ruled as kings (443–450 AD) marked the most prosperous time for Buddhism in Tuyoq.
　　Due to the plundering by imperialism and human destruction, over 90% of the Tuyoq murals have been destroyed and lost. Today, only 8 caves still have a small number of murals with Uyghur inscriptions. Among them, Caves 1, 2, 3, and 4 feature Buddha statues seated on Hu beds, a sight unique in all of China. Some fragments of Buddhist scriptures have also been unearthed here.

　　(3) Tuyoq Khoja Mazar.

　　　　It is the first famous ancient religious relic that visitors encounter upon entering the southern valley entrance. Its full name is the Aysapu Kehaf Mazar, commonly known as the “Saints’ Tomb,” and it is said to be over 1,300 years old.
　　The Tuyoq Khoja Mazar is said to be related to a legend from the early 7th century, after the founding of Islam by Muhammad. His disciple, the missionary Ye Munaika from the ancient Kingdom of Yemen, along with five followers, came to China to preach. After enduring many hardships, they finally traveled eastward to Tuyoq. With the help of a local shepherd who had a dog, Ye Munaika and the six of them settled here to continue preaching, and Islam began to flourish in Tuyoq. Later, after Ye Munaika and the six others, along with the first Chinese person to convert to Islam (the shepherd), passed away, they were buried in a cave—the present-day Tuyoq Mazar.

　　According to records by the German explorer von Le Coq, as late as the early 20th century, Muslims from Turkey, India, and other countries still traveled here. Nowadays, every year, Muslim pilgrims from various regions such as southern and northern Xinjiang, Ningxia, Qinghai, Gansu, Turkey, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan come here to worship. It is one of the more prominent Islamic holy sites in Xinjiang and also an important historical witness to the rise and fall of Buddhist culture and the prevalence of Islam.
　　The Tuyoq Mazar is considered China’s foremost Islamic holy site, or the “Mecca of China.” According to local Muslims, it is essential to visit the Tuyoq Mazar before making the pilgrimage to Mecca. According to Le Coq, as late as the early 20th century, Muslims from Turkey and India still came here on pilgrimage. Today, Muslims from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Germany, Turkey, and other places come here for pilgrimage in an endless stream.

　　(4) Tuyoq Ancient Village.

　　　　It is an ancient and tranquil Uyghur village located in the valley at the southern exit of the grand canyon. With a history of over 1,700 years, it is the oldest surviving Uyghur village in Xinjiang to date. It is distributed around the grand mosque with its green minarets, and there are about two hundred households. This village has fully preserved the ancient Uyghur traditions and folk customs. People often rest at sunrise and work at sunset, communicate in the ancient Uyghur language, wear the most distinctive ethnic clothing, and still use classical donkey carts to visit relatives and friends.

　　On the faces of the elderly, young people, and children living here, there is always an expression of peace, contentment, and happiness, giving an impression of simplicity, leisure, and living in harmony with the world.
　　In the ancient village, residents have inherited the traditional habit of building houses with yellow clay for over two thousand years. Some of the buildings still bear the marks of a blend between Buddhist and Islamic cultures. The houses are all made of yellow clay bricks and come in various sizes, heights, and numbers of stories—some are single-story, while others have two or more floors. Some are standalone, while others are built in rows along the mountain terrain. Their characteristics are cost-effectiveness and being warm in winter and cool in summer. Transportation Guide: If you hire a car to go to Tuyoq, your stay may be shorter. Another option is to take a long-distance bus between Turpan and Shanshan and get off at Tuyoq.
　　If you are too tired on the first day of your trip, you can stay overnight in Turpan City, where there are two gas stations. Then proceed to Tuyoq on the second day. Food Recommendations: The cuisine in Turpan is almost the same as in Urumqi, offering everything from northern Han-style noodles to Cantonese and Sichuan dishes, from local Uyghur snacks to Islamic halal food. If you ask people who have been to Turpan what their favorite and most memorable food is, their answer is likely to be grapes and other fruits. In Turpan, you can often have grapes or other fruits as a main dish, eating them as you walk—this “fruit feast” is a unique feature of Turpan. Additionally, the halal restaurant inside the Silk Road Oasis Hotel offers very good food with local characteristics and reasonable prices. Recommended dishes include stir-fried grilled meat, stir-fried kebab meat, and caramelized Hami melon.