Top 5 Deserts in China for an Amazing Desert Experience

When most people think of deserts, they imagine endless sand dunes, intense heat, and barren landscapes. Yet the deserts in China offer much more — a striking diversity of scenery, deep cultural history, and awe-inspiring natural wonders.

Stretching across Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, and Xinjiang, China’s deserts are home to some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes. Here, travelers can explore the towering golden dunes of the Badain Jaran Desert, cross the vast shifting sands of the legendary Taklamakan Desert, and witness the endless horizons of the Gurbantunggut Desert. They can listen to the singing sands at the Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring near Dunhuang, and experience the wild, open beauty of the Tengger Desert, dotted with shimmering lakes and ancient oases.

Whether you’re seeking thrilling 4WD adventures, peaceful sunset hikes, or cultural journeys along historic Silk Road routes, the deserts in China promise unforgettable experiences.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the Top 5 deserts in China that you can add one of them in your China tour — each offering its own unique adventure and breathtaking landscapes.

Overview

Located on the southwestern edge of Inner Mongolia, the Badain Jaran Desert spans across Alxa Right Banner and Ejina Banner, covering nearly 49,000 square kilometers (19,000 square miles). As the third-largest desert in China, it offers a dramatic mix of towering sand dunes, hidden freshwater lakes, ancient temples, and otherworldly landscapes that captivate travelers and photographers alike.

Towering Dunes and Stunning Views

Badain Jaran is home to the world’s tallest stationary sand dunes. Bilutu Peak, the most famous, soars 500 meters (1,600 feet) from its base — earning the nickname the “Qomolangma of Deserts” (Qomolangma being the Tibetan name for Mount Everest). From the summit, travelers are rewarded with sweeping panoramic views of golden dunes and shimmering lakes.

The Singing Sands Phenomenon

Under the right conditions, some dunes in the Badain Jaran Desert produce deep humming or booming sounds when the wind passes over them or when people slide down the slopes — a rare “singing sands” phenomenon. Although less famous than the Singing Sand Dunes of Dunhuang, this haunting sound adds to the desert’s mysterious allure.

Hidden Temple and Oasis Life

Nestled deep within the desert is the Badain Jaran Temple, a centuries-old Tibetan Buddhist site built during the Qing Dynasty. Perfectly preserved beside a peaceful lake, the temple remains a pilgrimage destination and a testament to the enduring spiritual ties between people and this remote landscape.
Surrounding the dunes, more than 100 colorful lakes support small pockets of lush vegetation and sustain the nomadic herders who have made this seemingly inhospitable land their home for generations.

Adventure awaits at the Badain Jaran Desert in ways few other deserts can offer. Travelers can climb the world’s tallest stationary dunes, visit the remote Badain Jaran Temple hidden among the sands, explore colorful lakes by 4WD jeep, and experience the rare singing sands phenomenon. Whether riding camels across golden dunes or stargazing under the vast desert sky, every moment in Badain Jaran is a thrilling encounter with nature’s grandeur and ancient spirituality.

Taklamakan or spelled Taklimakan, means “the Place of No Return”, thus the Taklamakan Desert, located in the middle of Tarim Basin in the southwest of Xinjiang, is known as “the Sea of Death”. Covering over a staggering 130,000 square miles, it is the largest desert in China and the second-largest shifting sand desert on the earth. Bordering the Gobi Desert to the east, the Kunlun Mountains to the south, the Pamir Mountains to the west, and the Tianshan to the north, the Taklamakan Desert witnessed the glorious history and culture of the ruined cities as part of the Silk Road for merchant caravans. It is absolutely a life-time unforgettable experience to drive on its desert highway through the endless yellow sand under the boundless sky, like sailing across the open sea. From the top of Mount Shengmu which is in distinctive red and white, the view is incredible with golden populus euphratica forests on both sides of the Hotan River.

Gurbantunggut Desert is located in the Dzungarian Basin in northern Xinjiang. Ranking after Taklamakan Desert, it is the second-largest desert in China with an occupation of approximately 19,000 square miles, but it is the largest fixed and semi-fixed desert in China. Being different from other deserts in the region, Gurbantunggut Desert does not boast any mega dunes, while it reaches out endlessly towards the horizon. The undulating sands are just like some assembling beast under the scorching sun. The arid and barren sands are scattered with deep oases where more than 100 varied desert plant species sprout, including splendid primitive forests, made up of desert poplars and saxaul trees. These tenacious plants, only irrigated once per year when it’s snowing in winter and melts in spring, simply add a touch of lush green to the desolate landscape and supply rough pasturage for the wild Mongolian gazelles.

About 5km south from Dunhuang City which is a major stop on the ancient Silk Road, Singing Sand Dunes meets the Crescent Moon Spring in the most spectacular way. The Singing Sand Dunes got the name from its unique ’whistling sand’, a reference to the sound of walking on dunes or wind over dunes. Stretching about 40km from top of the Mogao Caves in the east to the Danghe Reservoir in the west, the rolling Singing Sand Dunes is composed of tiny and soft sands of five-color sand. Get atop the dunes, travelers can enjoy the stunning sunset over the vast desert, and the full view of Crescent Moon Spring below. Crescent Moon Spring is a crescent-shaped lake in an oasis surrounded by Singing Sand Dunes. The Spring keeps rippling and clear, never being buried by the sand or submerge overflow out to the sand. The unique co-existence between the spring and the sand forms a magnificent natural wonder which should be on your bucket list.

Mainly covering southwest of Alxa Left Banner of Inner Mongolia, Tengger Desert also expands to Minqin City and Wuwei City in Gansu, as well as Zhongwei City in Ningxia. With an arid nature region of 16,600 square miles, it is the fourth largest desert in China. Since ancient times, Mongolia herders have set their homes on the oasis of the Tengger Desert. In Mongolia, “Tengger” means “sky”, which vividly describes the lofty and vast desert. The Yellow River puts the southern fringe of Tengger Desert at Shapotou, which is regarded as the Capital of Sand as an ideal place for desert hiking, surfing, camping, and camel riding. Dominated by 71% of sand dunes, it also provides charming lake views with various vegetation growing. Among all lakes, Moon Lake is the most remarkable with half freshwater and half salty water, and its shape looks like a China map.

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