The Flaming Mountain is made of red sandstones, and winds its way from Shanshan in the east to Turban in the west like a huge cyan dragon. It lies across the middle of Turban in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with a total length of 98 kilometers and a width of 9 kilometers. It rises 500 meters on the average above sea level and the highest peak is close to Tuyu Valley of Shanshan, 891.7 meters above the sea level.     

This is the hottest place in China. In summer, it can reach 47.8oC, and the temperature of the ground surface is above 70oC. Eggs can be cooked in the sand. Many valleys are formed from earth crust movement and river washing, in which the green trees hide the sun, the water sings and dances while the fruits give out aroma.      

The mountain has its unique terrain, and the famous novel Xi You Ji (Pilgrim to the West) written by Wu Cheng'en (c. 1500-1582) tells the story that the Monkey King and his Master went for getting truth while was blocked by the Flaming Mountain, so the Monkey King borrowed the palm-leaf fan three times. The story ties the Tangseng (Monkey King's master), Monkey King, the Princess of Iron Fan, and the King of Oxen together, and adds myth to the mountain, making it a desirable tourist resort today.