Why bury yourself in the sand when it's so hot? The hotter, the better — sand therapy in Turpan delivers greater effects in extreme heat

▲A traveler is taking a sand bath as part of sand therapy. (Photo / Reproduced from Xinhua News Agency)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

In the scorching summer, you might just want to stay indoors with the air conditioning on, but in Turpan, Xinjiang — known as the “Land of Fire” — visitors actually enjoy lying under the blazing sun, burying themselves in scorching hot sand to sweat it out. This is the unique experience of sand therapy.Sand therapy is a long - established traditional folk remedy among the Uyghur people in the Turpan Basin of Xinjiang. By burying their bodies in the hot sand, people aim to treat various ailments such as arthritis, lumbar - leg pain, and cold - induced gastroenteritis.

You can take a bus directly to the sand therapy center within Turpan city. Since the summer temperatures are high, the effects of sand therapy are at their best, and many travelers choose to come to Turpan for sand therapy during this season. Even at 7 p.m. Beijing Time in July, the thermometer still shows a ground temperature as high as 62.3 degrees Celsius. Due to the extremely high sand temperature, some tourists will climb out of the sand for a rest after a period of sand therapy.

During the sand therapy process, you will keep sweating, especially for those not accustomed to the local climate. Therefore, it's important to replenish fluids in time during sand therapy. Additionally, after sand therapy, you should have proper rest, avoid taking cold showers, and note that those with acute inflammation, heart failure, high fever, tumors, or a tendency to bleed are prohibited from undergoing sand therapy.