Moving from Hami to Turpan.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
The day before, I purchased the ticket in advance at the South Bus Terminal.
The departure time is 10:00 AM.
Turpan Museum.
Today, I am going to the Turpan Museum.
This place is free with the presentation of a passport.
First, I will eat at an Islamic-style restaurant in front of it.
This dish, with noodles and stir-fried ingredients, is delicious.
As expected, the local food is delicious.
I should probably stop eating Lanzhou ramen as much.
However, this kind of dish costs 15 yuan (about 290 yen), which is a bit expensive.
Maybe it's because it's in the city center.
This grilled skewer is made of lamb, but it is quite delicious.
It costs 5 yuan (approximately 98 yen).
And then to the museum.
The exhibition is quite well-stocked.
There was a reproduction room of a nearby cave.
Something was placed in the hallway. What is it?
It seems that fossils are often found in this area.
There are also dinosaur models.
It is a little grotesque, but it seems that this region has a culture of mummies.
It might be related to the culture of the Loulan Kingdom or earlier civilizations in the desert region.
It seems that there are still many mysteries.
And then I left the museum.
There is a passage like this nearby.
Perhaps they are doing this to keep it cool in this hot climate.
Fortunately, it's not very hot today, but it seems it will be very hot in the summer.
This place is free with the presentation of a passport.
First, I will eat at an Islamic-style restaurant in front of it.
This dish, with noodles and stir-fried ingredients, is delicious.
As expected, the local food is delicious.
I should probably stop eating Lanzhou ramen as much.
However, this kind of dish costs 15 yuan (about 290 yen), which is a bit expensive.
Maybe it's because it's in the city center.
This grilled skewer is made of lamb, but it is quite delicious.
It costs 5 yuan (approximately 98 yen).
And then to the museum.
The exhibition is quite well-stocked.
There was a reproduction room of a nearby cave.
Something was placed in the hallway. What is it?
It seems that fossils are often found in this area.
There are also dinosaur models.
It is a little grotesque, but it seems that this region has a culture of mummies.
It might be related to the culture of the Loulan Kingdom or earlier civilizations in the desert region.
It seems that there are still many mysteries.
And then I left the museum.
There is a passage like this nearby.
Perhaps they are doing this to keep it cool in this hot climate.
Fortunately, it's not very hot today, but it seems it will be very hot in the summer.
The tragic experience of a local tour in Turpan. I was followed by a stalker for 3 days.
When I arrived in Turpan and got off the bus, a stalker old man who spoke Japanese kept following me and trying to persuade me to join a tour.
What a person. He's so persistent.
Moreover, the same person is at the hotel too. What's going on? Did he anticipate my destination and get ahead of me? It's creepy.
Even when I was trying to put my luggage away and take a shower, he kept trying to get me to join a tour, which was annoying.
Hey, don't talk to me when I'm in the room.
Even when I was talking to the hotel staff, he would chime in from the side and explain things in Japanese, even though I wasn't asking him to. I'm not listening.
He said a group tour for tomorrow costs 100 yuan, but he seems suspicious, and the weather doesn't look good tomorrow, so I won't sign up.
It seems that the preservation condition of the ruins in this area is not good, and even the Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves, which I'm most interested in, only show a small part, and most of the murals have been taken away by exploration teams from various countries, leaving only remnants. It seems that you can see it in about 30 minutes. The other places are more like ruins than ruins, which is hard to understand. It's understandable that they are mostly from the 6th century, but I'm not sure if it's worth going to see them.
By the way, a tout told me that a taxi charter to several places costs 450 yuan (about 8800 yen).
In addition to this, there is a separate entrance fee of 40-70 yuan per place, so the entrance fee alone will cost an additional 5000 yen.
150,000 yen is a bit much for seeing such ruins.
I'm more interested in enjoying the atmosphere of this town, so it's not a problem if I don't take a tour. I've already seen the Mogao Caves and other places, and I don't regret not seeing them. I think I'll just walk around the town unless there's a reasonable tour.
This stalker old man started puffing on a cigarette next to me.
It smells like tar. It's disgusting.
And he's asking me, "Do you smoke?" No way! I don't smoke.
I immediately went outside because it was annoying. It's fatal that I can't relax at the hotel.
The next day, after visiting the museum, I talked to a travel agency behind the museum, but they didn't speak English, so I decided to consult by phone. Apparently, today is a free admission day, so I should go today.
What?
The Japanese-speaking old man who kept following me yesterday didn't say anything like that. What's going on?
Today, it costs 250 yuan (about 4890 yen) to visit the following places:
- Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves
- Hualianshan
- Asterna Tombs
I said that it's cloudy and it's raining, and then a staff member from that place came to where I was and said, "Please come with me," so I decided to go.
It was a place right behind the Turpan Hotel.
According to them:
- There are no tours (it's more like there are no tours offered by this travel agency, rather than tours of the entire town).
- A taxi charter to the following places costs 450 yuan (about 8800 yen):
- Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves
- Hualianshan
- Gaochang Ancient City
- Jiaohe Ancient City
- Asterna Tombs
- Karez
I just got their contact information and went back to the hotel.
Then, I asked the hotel staff if there were any tours.
They said there was a tour for 85 yuan (1660 yen), so I decided to join it.
It's easier to participate if you ask the hotel. You can wait in the common area, and the hotel staff will tell you when the car arrives.
- Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves
- Hualianshan
- Jiaohe Ancient City
- Sugong Pagoda
- Grape Valley
I won't go to the following places, but that's okay:
- Asterna Tombs
- Gaochang Ancient City
I'll decide whether to enter Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves and Jiaohe Ancient City after I get there.
Especially Hualianshan, you can probably see enough from the outside.
Lunch is not included, so I went to a nearby supermarket to buy some food.
When I went back to the hotel to put away the groceries, there was that annoying old man who speaks Japanese again (laughs).
He's talking to me again, even though I haven't asked him anything.
He's talking to me, "Excuse me, are you going to join a tour?" when I'm in the room. I'm not listening.
In the end, he said, "The hotel staff says you're not going to join the tour." He's using ambiguous Japanese that can be interpreted in many ways, so I wondered if this old man had canceled the tour without telling me. But of course, he hadn't. He's such a troublemaker.
Even when I'm in the room, he's talking to me, which is annoying, so I briefly confirmed the tour with the hotel staff and left again.
He's a plague.
He shouldn't be talking to me when I'm in the room, even if it's in the common area.
First of all, you're talking to me even when I haven't asked you anything.
You should only answer when I ask you something.
It's outrageous that a travel agency would even enter the room.
This isn't just the problem of that old man, but also a problem with the management of the hotel.
The next morning, I woke up around 8 o'clock, got ready, and ate breakfast.
After that, I went to a nearby Lanzhou ramen shop for breakfast and was about to return to the hotel when I saw that persistent old man from the travel agency in a car, right in front of me.
What is this person doing?
He's following me.
He's saying things like, "The tour bus will be arriving soon."
I was thinking, "I didn't ask for that," but it turns out he's on his own tour.
Ugh, that's disgusting.
I feel cold.
What is this man's obsession?
Did he get close to the hotel staff and try to get me to join his tour?
I really didn't want to rely on him.
At this point, I'm starting to feel disgusted by the town of Turpan itself.
I don't even want to step foot in the town of Turpan anymore.
I feel disgusted thinking that that old man might be stalking me, and I never want to come back.
It's not just cold; I feel nauseous.
By the way, the company is called MAMAT TRAVEL SERVICE.
Furthermore, the story continued, and when I returned to the hotel, the hotel staff suggested a tour that didn't include the Jiaohe Ancient City but instead went to the Pijan Desert and the Astana Ancient Tombs. What is that? I didn't understand, but it seemed that other participants wanted to go to the desert instead of the Gaochang Ancient City. That's something you say in the morning, isn't it? The explanation was that it was possible to go to the Jiaohe Ancient City by bus, so it would be fine to go the next day.
For me, it would be fine as long as it included the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, so I agreed to the change. However, it seems that it was a little further away, so it was 100 yuan instead of the original 85 yuan. Well, it was within an acceptable range, so I decided to go.
Originally, the departure time was 10:00 AM, but the hotel staff said, "The driver will be here soon, is that okay?" What is that? That's a one-hour earlier departure, isn't it? It's not the same tour. It started to feel suspicious. If I had thought about it, I should have questioned it at that time. I was careless because it had been relatively comfortable in China so far. If it were India, I would have questioned it.
As expected, this tour was a complete failure.
The changes were not just the above, but it was a tour that went to completely different places.
It was like being thrown into a completely different tour. What is this?
This is rarely seen even in India, where things are so poorly managed.
There is no place in the world where such an inappropriate tour arrangement exists.
The fact that the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, which was the main purpose, was not included was the worst thing.
I was careless because China had been relatively decent so far.
It had been gradually becoming more careless as you move from the urban areas to the rural areas of China, but I didn't expect it to deteriorate to this extent.
I was always careful and checking things in India because I knew it would be like that, but I didn't expect it to happen in China. I was exhausted. I was really careless because I thought it was China.
The desert was something that Chinese people would enjoy riding in buggies, but I'm not interested in buggies, and I've already enjoyed the desert in Dunhuang, and it's a desert with a lot of trash, so it's a somehow a bit strange.
Fortunately, I was able to go to the relatively minor but somewhat popular "Tuyuq Thousand Buddha Caves (Toyuq)," but the passage was collapsed, and I couldn't climb to the east bank. I think it was a tour to go to the Tuyuq Thousand Buddha Caves.
Also, the hotel staff said they were going to the Astana Ancient Tombs, but they didn't go to the Astana Ancient Tombs. What is this? This carelessness.
In the end, only the following places were visited:
- Pijan Desert: 2 hours
- Tuyuq Thousand Buddha Caves (Toyuq): 1.5 hours
- Fire Mountain: They didn't go inside, just took pictures outside the entrance. I thought that was okay.
The following places were not visited:
- Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves: The main purpose was ignored.
- Astana Ancient Tombs: The hotel staff said they were going, but they didn't go.
- Sugong Tower: They said they were going, but they didn't go. I'm not very interested.
- Grape Valley: They said they were going, but they didn't go. I wasn't originally interested.
It's not a completely different tour.
I never thought I would be treated like this in such a remote place like Turpan.
I realized that I was already close to Turpan City after passing the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, but it was too late, and by that time, I was already tired and didn't care anymore. If I had thought about it calmly, the murals in the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves were mostly damaged and being taken away by various countries, so it wouldn't have been a big problem even if I couldn't see them, but the fact that they didn't go to the place they said they would go is what I'm upset about.
The places I wasn't very interested in not going to didn't cause any problems, but the fact that they didn't go to the places they promised to go is a problem.
Even when I protested to the hotel staff, they only said, "Oh..." I'm so frustrated that I don't even have the energy to get angry.
This kind of "it's okay as long as the result is good" approach is similar to the "careless" way of handling things in India.
But it's not okay at all.
Also, as mentioned above,
The fact that a creepy old man came to talk to all the tour participants from the car window at the end of the tour was also unsettling. What is this creepy old man? I feel nauseous. He's like a annoying stalker.
I don't want to set foot in Turpan again.
I won't recommend it to others.
Turpan is extremely unpleasant because of this stalker.
He appears everywhere in the town.
Why does this old man follow me even though I haven't asked him to?
I wonder how many Japanese people he's been preying on.
He probably makes a lot of money from Japanese people.
Even if he just follows you around, it's the fact that I couldn't see the things I wanted to see that's the most upsetting. It's the worst.
I don't feel like going to Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves just for that, and I don't want to stay in Turpan anymore, so I will move to Urumqi as planned tomorrow.
What a person. He's so persistent.
Moreover, the same person is at the hotel too. What's going on? Did he anticipate my destination and get ahead of me? It's creepy.
Even when I was trying to put my luggage away and take a shower, he kept trying to get me to join a tour, which was annoying.
Hey, don't talk to me when I'm in the room.
Even when I was talking to the hotel staff, he would chime in from the side and explain things in Japanese, even though I wasn't asking him to. I'm not listening.
He said a group tour for tomorrow costs 100 yuan, but he seems suspicious, and the weather doesn't look good tomorrow, so I won't sign up.
It seems that the preservation condition of the ruins in this area is not good, and even the Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves, which I'm most interested in, only show a small part, and most of the murals have been taken away by exploration teams from various countries, leaving only remnants. It seems that you can see it in about 30 minutes. The other places are more like ruins than ruins, which is hard to understand. It's understandable that they are mostly from the 6th century, but I'm not sure if it's worth going to see them.
By the way, a tout told me that a taxi charter to several places costs 450 yuan (about 8800 yen).
In addition to this, there is a separate entrance fee of 40-70 yuan per place, so the entrance fee alone will cost an additional 5000 yen.
150,000 yen is a bit much for seeing such ruins.
I'm more interested in enjoying the atmosphere of this town, so it's not a problem if I don't take a tour. I've already seen the Mogao Caves and other places, and I don't regret not seeing them. I think I'll just walk around the town unless there's a reasonable tour.
This stalker old man started puffing on a cigarette next to me.
It smells like tar. It's disgusting.
And he's asking me, "Do you smoke?" No way! I don't smoke.
I immediately went outside because it was annoying. It's fatal that I can't relax at the hotel.
The next day, after visiting the museum, I talked to a travel agency behind the museum, but they didn't speak English, so I decided to consult by phone. Apparently, today is a free admission day, so I should go today.
What?
The Japanese-speaking old man who kept following me yesterday didn't say anything like that. What's going on?
Today, it costs 250 yuan (about 4890 yen) to visit the following places:
- Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves
- Hualianshan
- Asterna Tombs
I said that it's cloudy and it's raining, and then a staff member from that place came to where I was and said, "Please come with me," so I decided to go.
It was a place right behind the Turpan Hotel.
According to them:
- There are no tours (it's more like there are no tours offered by this travel agency, rather than tours of the entire town).
- A taxi charter to the following places costs 450 yuan (about 8800 yen):
- Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves
- Hualianshan
- Gaochang Ancient City
- Jiaohe Ancient City
- Asterna Tombs
- Karez
I just got their contact information and went back to the hotel.
Then, I asked the hotel staff if there were any tours.
They said there was a tour for 85 yuan (1660 yen), so I decided to join it.
It's easier to participate if you ask the hotel. You can wait in the common area, and the hotel staff will tell you when the car arrives.
- Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves
- Hualianshan
- Jiaohe Ancient City
- Sugong Pagoda
- Grape Valley
I won't go to the following places, but that's okay:
- Asterna Tombs
- Gaochang Ancient City
I'll decide whether to enter Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves and Jiaohe Ancient City after I get there.
Especially Hualianshan, you can probably see enough from the outside.
Lunch is not included, so I went to a nearby supermarket to buy some food.
When I went back to the hotel to put away the groceries, there was that annoying old man who speaks Japanese again (laughs).
He's talking to me again, even though I haven't asked him anything.
He's talking to me, "Excuse me, are you going to join a tour?" when I'm in the room. I'm not listening.
In the end, he said, "The hotel staff says you're not going to join the tour." He's using ambiguous Japanese that can be interpreted in many ways, so I wondered if this old man had canceled the tour without telling me. But of course, he hadn't. He's such a troublemaker.
Even when I'm in the room, he's talking to me, which is annoying, so I briefly confirmed the tour with the hotel staff and left again.
He's a plague.
He shouldn't be talking to me when I'm in the room, even if it's in the common area.
First of all, you're talking to me even when I haven't asked you anything.
You should only answer when I ask you something.
It's outrageous that a travel agency would even enter the room.
This isn't just the problem of that old man, but also a problem with the management of the hotel.
The next morning, I woke up around 8 o'clock, got ready, and ate breakfast.
After that, I went to a nearby Lanzhou ramen shop for breakfast and was about to return to the hotel when I saw that persistent old man from the travel agency in a car, right in front of me.
What is this person doing?
He's following me.
He's saying things like, "The tour bus will be arriving soon."
I was thinking, "I didn't ask for that," but it turns out he's on his own tour.
Ugh, that's disgusting.
I feel cold.
What is this man's obsession?
Did he get close to the hotel staff and try to get me to join his tour?
I really didn't want to rely on him.
At this point, I'm starting to feel disgusted by the town of Turpan itself.
I don't even want to step foot in the town of Turpan anymore.
I feel disgusted thinking that that old man might be stalking me, and I never want to come back.
It's not just cold; I feel nauseous.
By the way, the company is called MAMAT TRAVEL SERVICE.
Furthermore, the story continued, and when I returned to the hotel, the hotel staff suggested a tour that didn't include the Jiaohe Ancient City but instead went to the Pijan Desert and the Astana Ancient Tombs. What is that? I didn't understand, but it seemed that other participants wanted to go to the desert instead of the Gaochang Ancient City. That's something you say in the morning, isn't it? The explanation was that it was possible to go to the Jiaohe Ancient City by bus, so it would be fine to go the next day.
For me, it would be fine as long as it included the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, so I agreed to the change. However, it seems that it was a little further away, so it was 100 yuan instead of the original 85 yuan. Well, it was within an acceptable range, so I decided to go.
Originally, the departure time was 10:00 AM, but the hotel staff said, "The driver will be here soon, is that okay?" What is that? That's a one-hour earlier departure, isn't it? It's not the same tour. It started to feel suspicious. If I had thought about it, I should have questioned it at that time. I was careless because it had been relatively comfortable in China so far. If it were India, I would have questioned it.
As expected, this tour was a complete failure.
The changes were not just the above, but it was a tour that went to completely different places.
It was like being thrown into a completely different tour. What is this?
This is rarely seen even in India, where things are so poorly managed.
There is no place in the world where such an inappropriate tour arrangement exists.
The fact that the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, which was the main purpose, was not included was the worst thing.
I was careless because China had been relatively decent so far.
It had been gradually becoming more careless as you move from the urban areas to the rural areas of China, but I didn't expect it to deteriorate to this extent.
I was always careful and checking things in India because I knew it would be like that, but I didn't expect it to happen in China. I was exhausted. I was really careless because I thought it was China.
The desert was something that Chinese people would enjoy riding in buggies, but I'm not interested in buggies, and I've already enjoyed the desert in Dunhuang, and it's a desert with a lot of trash, so it's a somehow a bit strange.
Fortunately, I was able to go to the relatively minor but somewhat popular "Tuyuq Thousand Buddha Caves (Toyuq)," but the passage was collapsed, and I couldn't climb to the east bank. I think it was a tour to go to the Tuyuq Thousand Buddha Caves.
Also, the hotel staff said they were going to the Astana Ancient Tombs, but they didn't go to the Astana Ancient Tombs. What is this? This carelessness.
In the end, only the following places were visited:
- Pijan Desert: 2 hours
- Tuyuq Thousand Buddha Caves (Toyuq): 1.5 hours
- Fire Mountain: They didn't go inside, just took pictures outside the entrance. I thought that was okay.
The following places were not visited:
- Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves: The main purpose was ignored.
- Astana Ancient Tombs: The hotel staff said they were going, but they didn't go.
- Sugong Tower: They said they were going, but they didn't go. I'm not very interested.
- Grape Valley: They said they were going, but they didn't go. I wasn't originally interested.
It's not a completely different tour.
I never thought I would be treated like this in such a remote place like Turpan.
I realized that I was already close to Turpan City after passing the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, but it was too late, and by that time, I was already tired and didn't care anymore. If I had thought about it calmly, the murals in the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves were mostly damaged and being taken away by various countries, so it wouldn't have been a big problem even if I couldn't see them, but the fact that they didn't go to the place they said they would go is what I'm upset about.
The places I wasn't very interested in not going to didn't cause any problems, but the fact that they didn't go to the places they promised to go is a problem.
Even when I protested to the hotel staff, they only said, "Oh..." I'm so frustrated that I don't even have the energy to get angry.
This kind of "it's okay as long as the result is good" approach is similar to the "careless" way of handling things in India.
But it's not okay at all.
Also, as mentioned above,
The fact that a creepy old man came to talk to all the tour participants from the car window at the end of the tour was also unsettling. What is this creepy old man? I feel nauseous. He's like a annoying stalker.
I don't want to set foot in Turpan again.
I won't recommend it to others.
Turpan is extremely unpleasant because of this stalker.
He appears everywhere in the town.
Why does this old man follow me even though I haven't asked him to?
I wonder how many Japanese people he's been preying on.
He probably makes a lot of money from Japanese people.
Even if he just follows you around, it's the fact that I couldn't see the things I wanted to see that's the most upsetting. It's the worst.
I don't feel like going to Bezklik Thousand Buddha Caves just for that, and I don't want to stay in Turpan anymore, so I will move to Urumqi as planned tomorrow.
Pijian Desert (Kumtag Desert)
The tour starts with a trip to the Pijan Desert (Kuitatag Desert).
We will head to a town a little further away by highway.
Arrival.
It seems that this place, which is not listed in Japanese guidebooks, is somewhat popular among Chinese people.
The entrance fee is something like receiving two tickets for 60 yuan (approximately 1170 yen).
Here is the place where I was taken by a vehicle right near the entrance.
There seem to be some buggies and other vehicles.
It seems that the Chinese people wanted to play with these kinds of vehicles.
I will try climbing the mountain that is just a short walk from here.
The sand in Dunhuang was fine,
but because of the rain that fell yesterday, it was somewhat firm and easy to walk on.
From there, it was possible to return by vehicle, but I wanted to walk a little, so I decided to return on foot.
It shouldn't be that far.
There was some kind of facility along the way.
It seems to be under construction.
A temple-like structure can be seen a little above.
When I looked inside, it was a newly made fake.
What is this?
I thought it was a Hindu temple.
That's why I thought it was a strange temple. It's quite different from the ones in India.
And I walked down the hallway, heading towards the exit.
We will head to a town a little further away by highway.
Arrival.
It seems that this place, which is not listed in Japanese guidebooks, is somewhat popular among Chinese people.The entrance fee is something like receiving two tickets for 60 yuan (approximately 1170 yen).
Here is the place where I was taken by a vehicle right near the entrance.There seem to be some buggies and other vehicles.
It seems that the Chinese people wanted to play with these kinds of vehicles.
I will try climbing the mountain that is just a short walk from here.
The sand in Dunhuang was fine,but because of the rain that fell yesterday, it was somewhat firm and easy to walk on.
From there, it was possible to return by vehicle, but I wanted to walk a little, so I decided to return on foot.
It shouldn't be that far.
There was some kind of facility along the way.It seems to be under construction.
A temple-like structure can be seen a little above.
When I looked inside, it was a newly made fake.What is this?
I thought it was a Hindu temple.
That's why I thought it was a strange temple. It's quite different from the ones in India.
And I walked down the hallway, heading towards the exit.
Tǔyùgōu (Tǔyùgōu, Toyuku) Qianfo Dong (Thousand Buddha Caves)
Next is Tǔyùgōu (Tǔyù).
There is a place called Qianfo Dong (Thousand Buddha Caves).
On the other hand, it seems to have been a pilgrimage site for Muslims.
According to a travelogue from 2007, the stairs on the east bank were still intact, and it seems that it was possible to enter the caves. However, the stairs have already collapsed, making it impossible to climb them. It also seems that there is no one in charge, and the entrance to the stairs is locked.
I climbed the caves on the west bank, and I peeked into a cave that seems to be under excavation, and saw a small amount of remaining murals.
Hmm.
I could only discover this much.
Most of the other murals are probably ruined.
It might be unavoidable because they have just been dug out from the sand.
The river has also been greatly affected by construction.
In the photos from old travelogues, there is a relatively beautiful walkway, but now there is only a simple construction gravel road.
The entrance fee is 30 yuan (approximately 590 yen).
Qianfo Dong is located in the deepest part, and the area near the parking lot is a mosque area.
In the distance, you can see Senbutsudo (Thousand Buddha Cave).
It's on the west side of the river, I think.
When you get closer, there's also a cave on the east side (the right side of the river).
The river seems to be under construction.
In the middle, you go towards the western cave by climbing a sudden steep staircase.
It is unexpectedly steep.
A cave can be seen in the distance, on the eastern side.
And then I arrived at the top.
The western cave seems to have almost nothing to see.
Only a tiny bit of the mural remains.
The face has been horribly cut out.
There were places, common in caves, that appeared to have been square-shaped with Buddha statues in all four directions, but the Buddha statues are no longer present.
In the past, people probably chanted sutras and mantras while walking in circles around this area.
It seems that the excavation is still ongoing.
Barely remaining murals.
I have only found this much.
And, descending the steep path from before, let's go to the east side (the right side of the river).
When I got closer, the door was closed.
Actually, the stairs were dilapidated, and the scaffolding had already collapsed. In this condition, even if the door is opened, the stairs cannot be used.
Since there's nothing I can do, I'll try climbing up a little from the side of that door.
The previous stairs are also buried in the soil.
The stairs here are tilted and about to collapse.
It doesn't seem like there are many paths going upwards, and the footing is bad. Even if we try to climb here, we might not be able to enter the cave with the murals if it's locked.
Since we have to climb very steep places even with stairs, it would be very difficult to climb without relying on the stairs.
The slope is steep, and the rocks are mixed with sand, so if we slip, we could fall and it would be dangerous.
We decided to turn back, as this seems like the right time.
Something seems to be visible beyond a path that cannot be climbed.
It appears to be a building (?), but it's a rather flimsy, makeshift structure.
On the other side of the river, I can see some kind of building.
And I came back, but I feel a little indigestion.
There is a place called Qianfo Dong (Thousand Buddha Caves).
On the other hand, it seems to have been a pilgrimage site for Muslims.
According to a travelogue from 2007, the stairs on the east bank were still intact, and it seems that it was possible to enter the caves. However, the stairs have already collapsed, making it impossible to climb them. It also seems that there is no one in charge, and the entrance to the stairs is locked.
I climbed the caves on the west bank, and I peeked into a cave that seems to be under excavation, and saw a small amount of remaining murals.
Hmm.
I could only discover this much.
Most of the other murals are probably ruined.
It might be unavoidable because they have just been dug out from the sand.
The river has also been greatly affected by construction.
In the photos from old travelogues, there is a relatively beautiful walkway, but now there is only a simple construction gravel road.
The entrance fee is 30 yuan (approximately 590 yen).
Qianfo Dong is located in the deepest part, and the area near the parking lot is a mosque area.
In the distance, you can see Senbutsudo (Thousand Buddha Cave).
It's on the west side of the river, I think.
When you get closer, there's also a cave on the east side (the right side of the river).
The river seems to be under construction.
In the middle, you go towards the western cave by climbing a sudden steep staircase.
It is unexpectedly steep.
A cave can be seen in the distance, on the eastern side.
And then I arrived at the top.
The western cave seems to have almost nothing to see.
Only a tiny bit of the mural remains.
The face has been horribly cut out.
There were places, common in caves, that appeared to have been square-shaped with Buddha statues in all four directions, but the Buddha statues are no longer present.
In the past, people probably chanted sutras and mantras while walking in circles around this area.
It seems that the excavation is still ongoing.
Barely remaining murals.
I have only found this much.
And, descending the steep path from before, let's go to the east side (the right side of the river).
When I got closer, the door was closed.
Actually, the stairs were dilapidated, and the scaffolding had already collapsed. In this condition, even if the door is opened, the stairs cannot be used.
Since there's nothing I can do, I'll try climbing up a little from the side of that door.
The previous stairs are also buried in the soil.
The stairs here are tilted and about to collapse.
It doesn't seem like there are many paths going upwards, and the footing is bad. Even if we try to climb here, we might not be able to enter the cave with the murals if it's locked.
Since we have to climb very steep places even with stairs, it would be very difficult to climb without relying on the stairs.
The slope is steep, and the rocks are mixed with sand, so if we slip, we could fall and it would be dangerous.
We decided to turn back, as this seems like the right time.
Something seems to be visible beyond a path that cannot be climbed.
It appears to be a building (?), but it's a rather flimsy, makeshift structure.
On the other side of the river, I can see some kind of building.
And I came back, but I feel a little indigestion.
Flame Mountain.
Finally, I saw Mount Huo Yan.
But it was just a mountain with folds.
I remember that there was some story about it in the Journey to the West, and there was a statue based on that story at the entrance.
Since it's a mountain, you don't have to go inside to see it, so I stopped outside the entrance, took some pictures, and that was the end of it.
And then we returned to Turpan, and we ate at a local night market.
Five skewers of lamb and noodles for 27 yuan (approximately 530 yen). The details are unknown.
But it was just a mountain with folds.
I remember that there was some story about it in the Journey to the West, and there was a statue based on that story at the entrance.
Since it's a mountain, you don't have to go inside to see it, so I stopped outside the entrance, took some pictures, and that was the end of it.
And then we returned to Turpan, and we ate at a local night market.
Five skewers of lamb and noodles for 27 yuan (approximately 530 yen). The details are unknown.