Swimming pool makes a splash in the land of fire in Xinjiang

URUMQI — A giant open-air swimming pool at the foot of the Flaming Mountain has become a cool attraction in Turpan, known as China’s land of fire in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Surrounded by a 13-hectare apricot forest, the swimming pool occupies an area of 2,600 square meters and is just 1 kilometer away from the Flaming Mountain scenic area. The famous tourist attraction is known for its red flame-like sandstone.

The pool uses water from 180 meters underground, according to Esak Ykup, owner of the pool. “The water is pumped into the pool after being filtered and disinfected and is changed every week. The waste water is used to irrigate the trees.”

Turpan is one of the hottest places in China. Temperatures there can easily climb to more than 45 C even in the shade during July and August.

The pool has become a star destination among tourists and locals since it opened on Aug 8, 2018, when it received nearly 2,000 visitors.

Since the beginning of this summer, the daily maximum temperature in Turpan has mostly been above 35 C. This has helped the swimming pool attract more than 200 visitors every day.

“We built this outdoor pool to provide a place where tourists can not only play in the water, but enjoy the amazing view of Turpan at the same time,” Ykup said.

Visitors can also taste local delicacies and take part in other entertainment programs nearby, Ykup said.

Over the years, Turpan has pushed forward the development of its tourism infrastructure to better serve tourists from around the world. It has developed a wide range of activities, including fruit picking and sand therapy.

In the first half of this year, 8.59 million tourist trips were made to Turpan, up about 92 percent from the same period last year.