Which crops are grown in the Turfan Depression?

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Pagoda near Tian Lake — Xinjiang Pagoda close to Tian Lake, Ürümqi, Uyghur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, China.

The Turfan Depression, located in the Xinjiang autonomous region of China, is an intensively farmed area despite its extreme climate and low precipitation. The region is particularly renowned for its fruit production, most notably grapes and Hami melons.1

In addition to these fruits, the basin produces a variety of other agricultural goods, including:

Watermelons
Apples
Peaches
Apricots
Nuts
Grains, specifically wheat
Cotton
Silk1

Agriculture in the basin is supported by extensive irrigation systems, utilizing surface water in the north and a traditional tunnel technique to tap groundwater in the south.1