I've been to Turpan and the Tarim Basin area, which is on the northeast edge of the desert. It's the only place I've witnessed a sandstorm, and it's very hot ..

I've been to Turpan and the Tarim Basin area, which is on the northeast edge of the desert. It's the only place I've witnessed a sandstorm, and it's very hot ... local people told me not to leave rented bikes parked in sunlight as the tires were at risk of bursting. Many centuries ago, local Uyghur people developed ingenious mechanisms to channel snowmelt from the northern mountains for irrigation ... basically covered stone channels that stretch for thousands of miles and enable crops like grapes and melons to be grown. In Turpan itself, grape trellises are grown over many sidewalks which cools pedestrians and looks quite nice.