It's late March, and Turpan is always the first place to meet spring in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

In an oasis village in Tuyu Valley, grape vines have crept out of earth, and apricot trees are already in full bloom, marking the beginning of the annual Apricot Flower Festival, a local carnival to bid farewell to the five-month long winter and embrace spring.

Local villagers are dressed in colorful silk clothes. They play the Naqara drum and dance to the traditional Muqum music.

The lush Tuyu Valley has the best preserved ancient Uygur residences in Xinjiang. It is 46 kilometers from Turpan City and is seldom visited by tourists.

(All photos by Zhao Ge)