Situated in the eastern part of Xinjiang in the Tupan Basin , Turpan was one of the hubs along the ancient Silk Road . The famous Tang Dynasty monk Xuan Zang and Marco Polo, an Italian traveler have left their footprints here. And tourists from all over the world have kept on coming to visit the famous Flaming Mountain, the Grape Valley, the Ancient Ruined Cities of Gaochang and Jiaohe, the “undergroud museum”-Astana Tombs, the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, Karez-the underground irrigation system, Aiding Lake-the second lowest point in the world and the unique Islamic architecture-Sugong Minaret.