Flaming Mountains Scenery

　　The Flaming Mountains are located 10 kilometers northeast of Turpan City, stretching from east to west. They are 98 kilometers long and 9 kilometers wide, with the main peak at an altitude of 831.7 meters. In the height of summer, under the scorching sun, the mountains emit rolling waves of heat, and their reddish-brown appearance looks as if they are ablaze.

　　A mountain need not be tall to be famous — the Flaming Mountains are a prime example. Situated on the northern edge of the Turpan Basin, ancient texts refer to them as Chishi Mountain, while in Uyghur they are called Keziletagh, meaning “Red Mountain.”

　　The Flaming Mountain range stretches from east to west. It begins at Lan’gan Shashasha River in Shanshan County to the east and ends at Ta’ergou in Turpan to the west, spanning 100 kilometers in length and reaching up to 10 kilometers in width.

　　The Flaming Mountains are rugged and barren, devoid of any vegetation. In the peak of summer, under the blazing sun, rising heat and swirling flames of air create the spectacular sight of a soaring fire dragon.

　　Legend has it that the story of Tang Sanzang being blocked by the Flaming Mountains and Sun Wukong borrowing the Banana Fan three times in Journey to the West took place here. The Flaming Mountains are located in the central part of the Turpan Basin and are mainly composed of red sandstone, conglomerate, and mudstone from the Mesozoic Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Tertiary periods.

　　The mountains feature deep, winding ridges and are covered with numerous gullies.

　　No vegetation grows on the mountains, leaving bare bedrock exposed. In the hot summer under intense sunlight, the red mountains radiate waves of heat, with crimson clouds swirling above, resembling blazing flames.