This is a range of red standstone hills that run along the northern edge of the Turpan Depression. The range is 100 kilometres long and about 10 kilometres wide, with an average height of 500 metres above sea level (highest mountain is 850 metres).

The Flaming Mountains area is the hottest place in China, with difference in temperatures of 9 to 22 degrees Centigrade depending on whether you are in the sunlight or in the shade. In summer, when the sun’s rays beat down in mid-day, the hillslopes appear to be engulfed by tongues of fire, and the reflected heat is intense, hence the name Flaming Mountains.

The Flaming Mountains is well known to Chinese because of the famous 16th-century novel – Journey To The West – written by the Ming Dynasty writer Wu Cheng’en, which includes an episode on how the Monkey King with his master (Xuan Zang) attempted to cross the mountains but could not penetrate the flames. Finally, he borrowed a magical palm-leaf fan and used it to wave out and extinguish the fires.

The Flaming Mountains tower above many of the historical sites in the Turpan area, including the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, Astana Tombs, and Tuyugou Thousand Buddha Caves. The hot and dry climate of the whole area is the reason why many ancient artefacts in these sites have been so well preserved.