We checked out of the hotel and boarded the bus. Our first stop was a tour of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region Museum. There were many displays and showing how they dressed and lived throughout the different dynasties. There were also cases of artifacts that had been dug up. Mummies were displayed in another section of the museum. 
Next the bus started driving along the silk road on the way to Turpan. We passed a dry salt lake then one of the largest wind farms in China as we continued along the edge of the Gobi Desert. We stopped for lunch at a local restaurant where we enjoyed eating the specialty: Big Chicken Plate with noodles. We were served lots of special dishes including stir-fried celery, baby bok choi, steamed buns, and the best tofu I have ever eaten.
After lunch we continued on as Richard told us a couple of historical stories that took place on the Silk Road. We stopped to explore Yar City Ruins where the population at one time reached 6,000. People had dug into the ground and carved out niches. The majority of the houses were constructed by digging into the ground where some parts of the structures were built using compressed earth. We visited this site at the perfect time in the late afternoon when it was cooler and most of the tourists had gone. This is one of the hottest areas in China. In the summertime it can get up to 120 degrees. September is one of the coolest months. It was almost sunset when we left, so the shadows made for perfect pictures.
We finally checked in to our hotel in Turpan. Before dinner some dancers in colorful costumes entertained us until the food arrived. I think lunch was far superior to dinner.
16201 steps, 6.9 miles