The area around the city, the '''Turpan Depression''' is the lowest point in China and second lowest on Earth (after the Dead Sea) at 154 meters below sea level. It is very dry and sometimes very hot, well into the 40'sC.The local people have developed karez, an irrigation system composed of wells connected by underground channels, to counter the heat and drought of the place. No place in China is hotter than Flaming Mountain in Turpan, a mountain made famous by the classic Chinese mythological novel, ''Journey to the West''.Turpan is famous for their grapes, grown primarily for raisins but also wine. The locals in the area are called Uigurs.Uigur Hats.jpg http://wikitravel.org/en/Turpan