The structure of the Karez basically consists of wells, underground channels, ground canals and small reservoirs. In spring and summer, a great mount of melting snow and rainfall flow down from the Bogda and Karawuquntag mountains north and west of the Turpan Depression into the valleys and then seep into the Gobi Desert. Taking advantage of the mountain slopes, the working people ingeniously created the Karez to draw the underground water to irrigate the farmland. The water in Karez will not evaporate in large quantities even under the scorching heat and fierce wind, hence ensuring a stable water flow and gravity irrigation.

As far back as the Han Dynasty, the Karez was recorded in Shi Ji and then called "Well Canals". Most of the existing Karezes in the Turpan area were built in the Qing Dynasty and in after years. Nowadays, large stretches of fertile land are still irrigated by Karezes.

Karez is very important in Turpan citizen’s life , there had more than 1780 Karez totally in Turpan prefecture but the number decreased 600 now .if nothing used to control this situation, probably in 20 years Karez would become history in Turpan .