China 2008 >
Eclipse Tour
We were booked on an eclipse tour, because it wasn't really possible to see the eclipse independently. The zone of totality was controlled by police, and foreigners can't rent cars. The tour was offered by Eclipse City, a German company, though the logistics were provided by a local Han Chinese tour company. We stopped at Turpan on the way to the Official Government-Sponsored Eclipse Viewing Area near Hami.
Urumqi and Heavenly Lake
The first couple days of the tour were spent in Urumqi and at Heavenly Lake, a nearby resort in some cute mountains.
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Turpan
We left Urumqi and drove to the Turpan area, an important grape-growing area and home to some ancient cities.
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The Eclipse Site
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