A river of life below the earth

1 You probably remember the Flaming Mountains from Journey to the West. But do you know where the real Flaming Mountains are? They are in Turpan, in the east of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

2 It’s known as one of the hottest areas in the world. The desert sand can be as hot as 80℃ in midsummer. That’s enough to make your feet burn! It may sound crazy, but the locals can cook an egg on the desert sand. Rainfall in Turpan is only 16 mm a year. It is one of the driest places in China. How do people survive in such a terrible climate? The secret lies in the ancient karez system. 

3 The karez system in Turpan includes more than 1000 wells. They appear every 20-30 metres. Some of them are 100 metres deep! Under these wells are large underground canals. Water from the mountains falls into the wells. It then runs underground in the canals. It is kept cool and safe from the desert heat. There are over 5,000 km of underground canals in the area. That’s nearly as long as the Yellow River! Thanks to the karez system, people can grow plants for food in this difficult environment. And amazingly, all of this was completed with only hand tools! No wonder it’s among the top three projects of ancient China. 

4 Today, the area faces a water shortage. There is less water from the mountains, lower rainfall and a large increase in water use. Although modern technology is solving some problems, the karez system still plays an important role. Now, more and more young people are taking action to protect it. The centuries-old water system will surely be carried into the future.