Fruits and Nuts · FFET10361
Turpan grapes
Turpan grows many grape varieties; Wuhebai can be eaten fresh or dried into raisins.
Melons, fruits, and nuts and seeds such as chestnut and walnut.
Turpan grapes grow in the Turpan basin of Xinjiang and are eaten fresh or dried into raisins, with Wuhebai a representative local variety. More than 560 varieties are grown there, with early varieties reaching the market in July (recorded July 26, 2023). Wuhebai is seedless and sweeter than honey (Huijiang Zhi, relayed in 2022).
What
Turpan grapes are grown in the Turpan basin of Xinjiang for fresh eating and raisin making. Wuhebai is a representative local variety.1
When
More than 200 early grape varieties in Turpan reach the market in July (recorded July 26, 2023). The claim of more than 2,000 years of cultivation lacks a verified dated primary text in the available sources; the checked passage in the Shiji's Dayuan chapter discusses grape wine in Dayuan and cannot establish when grape growing began in Turpan.1,3
Where
The growing area is in Turpan city, Xinjiang. Grape Valley is about 8 kilometers long and a national 5A scenic area (recorded July 16, 2022).1,2
How
Local grapes are grown on trellises. Changes to trellis systems across more than 210,000 mu of vineyards were recorded in 2023. The grapes are eaten fresh or dried into raisins.1
Why
More than 560 grape varieties are grown locally (recorded in 2023). Wuhebai is seedless and sweeter than honey, with its name linked to its white color after drying (Huijiang Zhi, relayed in 2022).1,2
Impact and influence
Turpan had 543,800 mu of vineyards, about 30 percent of Xinjiang's grape-growing area, annual production of about 1.44 million metric tons, and more than 100 grape-processing businesses and wineries (recorded July 26, 2023). CNIPA Announcement No. 593, dated July 23, 2024, includes approval to use the geographical indication mark for Turpan raisins; it does not list fresh grapes.1,4