Turpan Festivals


If you are lucky enough to run into the Uygur festivals during your trip, you will be pleasantly surprised by the special activities as well as the table delicacies.

Grape Festival
Turpan is renowned for the quality of the fruit grown here and the sweetness of the grapes. Just as the name implies, the grape is the subject of the festival which is held in August each year and lasts for a month. During the festival, you can feel the happiness of harvest in every corner of the city. The grapes of hundreds of varieties are ripe and hang on the vines, waiting for you to enjoy. Amongst them, the white grape without seeds is the favourite one and it is praised as the 'green pearl of China'. In addition to enjoying the sweet grapes you can take in traditional Uygur performances in the festival, such as the wedding ceremony of Uygur and the dancing performances in Tang Dynasty (618-907). Grape Valley is the best option for you to celebrate the festival.

Eid al Fitr (the Festival of Fast-Breaking)
This fast is one of the five pillars of Islam and Eid al Fitr is the first day after 30 days' fast. The festival is celebrated on the 1st of October according to the Moslem calendar, and lasts for three days. It is an important festival among the Moslems. On the first morning of the festival, people gather together in the mosque to pray. And then, they wear national costumes to call on their relatives and friends. During the festival, people will butcher fat stocks and cook some traditional snacks to satisfy their stomach.

Eid al Adha (the Feast of the Sacrifice)
The festival is on 10th December according to the Moslem calendar and it is the last day for pilgrimage. In the early morning, all men go to mosque to pray. It is the most important divine service with a largest scale all year round. During the festival, each family should slaughter a sheep, a cow or a camel. And families and friends would gather together to sing and dance happily. Of course, they will also enjoy a sumptuous meal together. After the meal, they often visit the grave to honor the memory of ancestors.

Travelers' Voices on Turpan Festivals

1.

May. 28,2009 07:15 Reply

Mr.vaillant(france) said:

i Would like to know at what time the festival of turpan will be this year 2009 because i would like to attend to this festival and i especially come from france for this!!can your answer me as soon as possible thank you very much.

Jun. 2,2009 21:10
Mr.Richard replied:

Well, I think you could participate in these three festivals in 2009. The closest one is the Grape Festival in August when you could tasty juicy grapes anywhere in Turpan grape valley.~

2.

Apr. 29,2009 05:11 Reply

Mrs.Aygul(china turpan) said:

Great article!
I would like to add an observation to your customs and taboos area, Food Etiquette.
When in Rome...
Pay close attention to how others use their left hands when eating or handling food, and follow suite. Eating with the left hand or otherwise handling food in many places can be seen as 'unclean', like a cook not washing their hands; gross.

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