Event: China

Sand Therapy Clinic

When:	Daily
Where:	Turpan

A long time ago, someone worked out that the mineral rich sands that make up the dunes outside Turpan can do the mind, body and soul the world of good. The Sand Therapy Clinic is now a fairly well established venue on the Turpan tourist circuit. Lumbago, rheumatism and sciatica sufferers in particular have sung the praises of a good body burial.

Unusually for a nation more used to herbs and needles, this form of healing involves reaping the benefits of raw nature alone - the minerals that make up the sand. When you are buried in the sand you clearly get very hot, your pores open in response and the goodness is absorbed....or so they say.

Turpan lies in the second-lowest depression in the world after Israel's Dead Sea (which is also known for its curative mineral-rich deposits). It's also the hottest spot in China, making it a dead cert for a major sweat - especially if you are buried under sand. Each summer, the dunes spring into colour as devotees bury themselves beneath colourful tents - there are doctors on hand to prescribe necessary refreshments and decide the correct amount of burial time.

The best way to find out about the clinic is through any major tour operator. If you're feeling a lot better after your sweat it's certainly worth checking out the Gaochang Ruins (once a major staging post on the Silk Road) and the Flaming Mountains, which look like they're on fire in the midday sun.