A cemetery overlooking the river gorge in the Turpan Depression, Xinjiang, China (© George Steinmetz/Corbis)

【February 1 2016】The Turpan Depression is a cold desert region in northwest China surrounding the city of Turpan, once a stop along the famous Silk Road connecting Asia and Europe. Running water at the bottom of this gorge allows the growth of some of the only trees in the vicinity. Beyond the gorge, and beyond Turpan’s grape fields, stretches a forbiddingly dry landscape, where agriculture is made possible only through the use of a sophisticated irrigation system, the origins of which date back some 2,000 years.Explore breathtaking Gallery from the HuluTrip homepage over the past 5 years..