The grape harvest season, namely July, August and September, is the best time for tourists to visit. Due to unique geographical conditions, the city enjoys long hours of sunshine and scarce rain. The average temperature between June and August is 30 degrees C. In a year, there may be a 5-month period of sustained heat above 35 degrees C. The temperature of the ground surface can reach 75  or even 82.3 degrees.

Grapes and Melon:
A popular Chinese song called "Turpan's Grapes" has made Turpan famous throughout the country for its wonderful vines and produce. The city is graced with a thick maze of vines, which provide not only a tasty edible harvest but also shelter from the sun and heat.

Grapes here are usually tender, sweet and juicy, and there are about 500 different species, including the seedless white grape, red grape, black grape and rose-scented grape. Seedless white grapes are the most popular and exported in huge quantities. With no seeds, these grapes are also ideal for making raisins and are green, fresh, soft, sweet and delicious. Fresh grapes are sold in the markets between July and October, and raisins can be found throughout the year.  Turpan's intense heat and climate, mean  that a grape vine may live for over one hundred years, producing copious amounts of fruit. Raisins are produced in the lattice-style buildings you can see about the city, known as "Yinfang" in Chinese. These buildings are well ventilated on four sides and the raisins are naturally dried inside.  Do not  pick the grapes as there is an RMB15 fine for grape thieves!!!

Hami melon, popularly known as muskmelon, enjoys the same prestige as Turpan grapes. The Hami melon has a yellow or light green skin, covered with thin lines. The fruit itself is white, light green or orange. There are more than 20 kinds of Hami melon including the Black Eyebrow, Golden Dragon and Yellow Pear. Among these, the Hongxicui (literally Red-Heart Tendency) is the most tasty, famed for its thick, sweet, tender and delicious fruit.