Top 5 Deserts in China for an Amazing Desert Experience

When we hear the word desert, we involuntarily think of the picture of sand dunes with scorching sun, few plants and rare rainfall. While this is somewhat of a true statement of deserts, there is more to these beautiful landscapes than just that. Deserts offer their unique beauty as well, with impressive cliffs carved out by the wind and sand, splendid mountain ranges, and incredible plant life. Throughout China, there are five amazing deserts - Badain Jaran Desert, Taklamakan Desert, Gurbantunggut Desert, Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring, and Tengger Desert. Various cities and towns have settled in these desert areas, treating the harsh scenery as home. They are the top 5 deserts in which travelers should not miss on their China tour.

Badain Jaran Desert spans Alxa Right Banner and Ejina Banner, located on the southwestern edge of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Covering nearly 19,000 square miles, it is the third-largest desert in China. Ranking at the top of the “Five Most Beautiful Deserts in China” selected by “Chinese National Geography”, it homes many natural wonders, including the tallest stationary dunes, the singing sand dunes, the numerous scattered and colorful lakes. Among all stationary dunes, the Bilutu Peak is the most renowned, which is called the “Qomolangma of Deserts”, towering at 500 meters (1,600 feet) from the base and is the tallest stationary dune in the world. The views from the Bilutu peak are nothing short of stunning. The most unique part about Badain Jaran Desert is its well-preserved Tibetan Buddhist temple, which is located in the heart of the desert, lying beside a lake.

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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