Tengger Desert

Tengger Desert

China's fourth-largest desert. Located in the southeastern part of the Alxa region, between 37°30′ and 40° north latitude, and 102°20′ and 106° east longitude. It covers an area of approximately 42,700 square kilometers. Administratively, it mainly belongs to Alxa Left Banner, with its western and southeastern edges falling within Minqin and Wuwei of Gansu, and Zhongwei City of Ningxia. The desert consists of two parts: Nanjiling in the north and Tengger in the south, commonly referred to collectively as the Tengger Desert.

Inside the desert, sand dunes, lake basins, mountains, and flatlands are interspersed. Sand dunes account for 71%, lake basins for 7%, and residual mountains and flatlands for 22%. Among the sand dunes, 93% are mobile, with the rest being fixed or semi-fixed. The dunes generally range from 10 to 20 meters in height, mostly in grid-like patterns or grid-like chains, while crescent-shaped dunes are found in the peripheral areas. Tall, complex dune chains appear in the northeastern part of the desert, reaching heights of about 50 to 100 meters. Fixed and semi-fixed dunes are primarily distributed along the outer edges of the desert and the margins of lake basins, where vegetation such as sand sagebrush and sea buckthorn is common. Mobile dunes host species like sand sagebrush, sand bamboo, reeds, calligonum, flower sticks, tamarisk, and sacsaoul, which grow better than in the Badain Jaran Desert. In the Mahuang areas of the northwestern and southwestern deserts, there are large expanses of ephedra, and near Wutongshu Lake, there are natural secondary stands of populus euphratica among the dunes. Areas like Toutao Lake and Tonghu also feature man-made forests planted after 1949.

A 31-kilometer (19-mile) stretch of the Baotou–Lanzhou Railway passes through the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert. Within a 200–300-meter (656–984-foot) corridor along the railway, the originally mobile dunes have been stabilized through management efforts, ensuring the safety of railway transport.

"Tengger" means "sky" in Mongolian, referring to the vast, boundless sea of sand that resembles an endless sky—hence the name. Within the desert, sand dunes, lake basins, salt marshes, grasslands, mountains, and plains are interwoven. Sand dunes make up 71% of the area, 7% of which are fixed or semi-fixed. Most of the southwestern part of the desert is vegetated, mainly with ephedra and oil sagebrush; the central, southern, and northern lowlands have relatively good plant growth, dominated by various artemisia species. Mobile dunes are primarily grid-like and grid-like chained, typically 10–20 meters high, though some complex chained dunes reach 10–100 meters and often migrate southeastward. There are 422 lake basins of varying sizes, 251 of which contain water, mainly fed by springs and temporary runoff. Most are remnants from the Tertiary period and serve as key residential areas for local inhabitants. Sand control efforts began in 1958, including the establishment of hundreds of shelterbelts, sand stabilization, and grass cultivation, ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the Baotou–Lanzhou Railway through the desert—an outstanding achievement in China’s scientific desert management.

The Tengger Desert also hosts hundreds of pristine lakes that have existed for tens of millions of years. Under the azure sky, the vast, desolate, and majestic dunes rise and fall like frozen waves, their gentle curves revealing extraordinary beauty. From the heights of the Tenggerdala sand dunes, you’ll be amazed to discover a peculiar natural lake that strikingly resembles a map of China, with reeds marking out the country’s provinces and regions—this is the Tenggerdala Moon Lake. Tests show that half of Moon Lake is fresh water and the other half is saline, containing over ten types of mineral trace elements such as selenium and iron oxide. It also has remarkable purifying properties; despite remaining undisturbed for millions of years, the water remains crystal clear. With only 220 mm of annual rainfall, the water level has not decreased but has actually increased. Moon Lake is the only one of Tengger’s many lakes with a natural shoreline. Along its 3 km-long and 2 km-wide coast, digging just beneath the thin surface layer reveals ancient black sandy mud. Analysis shows this unique black mud is rich in over a dozen trace elements, closely resembling the mineral composition recommended for therapeutic baths by international health organizations—its quality even surpasses that of the Dead Sea’s black mud. It is truly a one-of-a-kind ecological treasure of Tenggerdala.

The tourism sector offers visitors a variety of special activities, such as desert picnics, desert camping, stargazing, desert water-seeking adventures, visits to nomadic tribes, tours of the desert’s “Bird Lake” and “Fish Lake,” and viewing ancient rock carvings—all considered “signature experiences” of exploring the Tengger Desert. Additionally, tour operators provide vehicles, food, camel handlers, guides, camping equipment, and, most importantly, camels. The camels used for tourism...

...are equipped not only with well-crafted saddles, stirrups, and footrests but also with saddlebags for carrying fruits and food. Guests can place cameras, binoculars, and other items in the homemade cloth saddlebags slung across the camel’s back. In addition to the riding camels for tourists, the caravan includes lead camels to scout the way, companion camels for guides, and rear camels for support. The caravans are outfitted with jingling camel bells that can be heard from miles away at night, providing a sense of security and stability while also helping to regulate the camels’ pace. Swan Lake: Located within the territory of Alxa Left Banner (Bayanhot Town), Alxa League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Swan Lake lies on the eastern edge of the Tengger Desert. It stretches approximately 1,500 meters from north to south and 500 meters from east to west, covering an area of about 3.2 square kilometers. Swan Lake is about 35 kilometers north of Moon Lake and also roughly 35 kilometers east of Bayanhot Town, the seat of the banner government, forming an obtuse isosceles triangle with the two. Surrounded by the vast desert, with rolling dunes and sweeping sand waves, the scenery around Swan Lake is spectacular and awe-inspiring. Together with Moon Lake—one larger, one smaller—they are a pair of standout “sister lakes” among Tengger’s more than 190 lakes. Complementing each other with distinct charm, they attract large numbers of visitors.