Lives of people in Turpan, NW China's Xinjiang (4)

A camel rests at the Flaming Mountain scenic spot in Turpan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 28, 2021. (People's Daily Online/Zhang Ruohan)

Flaming Mountain is a household place name in China, as it is cited in the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West." It is said to be "flaming" because the hillside's topography is barren with jagged ridges of sandstone painted in a fiery red and yellow tint. The site is known for its incredible heat. In the summertime, the ground temperature can reach as high as 80 degrees Celsius or 175 degrees Fahrenheit. The local terrain is the main reason for the boiling temperatures encountered at Flaming Mountain. The difference in altitude between Flaming Mountain, the lowest point on the Chinese mainland, and the surrounding Tianshan mountain range is more than 5,000 meters, so the hot air circulating in the basin cannot be readily dispersed. Every year, the Flaming Mountain site attracts visitors from around the country and abroad to experience the egg-frying heat for themselves.