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The mountains are so named because in the evenings the red clay mountains reflect the heat and glow of the desert and seem to burn.
Situated on the northern edge of the Turpan basin and stretching over 100 by 10 kilometres, this is an intensely hot part of the desert without a single blade of grass to be seen for miles.
In the severe heat of July, the mountains seem to be on fire in the burning sun and become a purplish-brown colour. Hot steam rises upwards from the burning cliffs and it is no surprise that this is where the hottest ever temperatures in China were recorded - a sizzling 67 C.
A winter trip to the destination will make your adventure here easier.
How to get there: The easiest way to see many of the sights in the countryside around Turpan is to hire a minibus for the day. This should cost between 300 yuan (US$36) to 500 yuan (US$60) for six people. Your driver should be able to take you to many of the sights around the area.
By train: Turpan, which is less than 200 kilometers from Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang.
It takes between four and five hours to reach the site.
By air: Flights are available between Beijing and Urumqi (1,500 yuan/US$180 for a single trip).
(Beijing Weekend January 20, 2003)
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