Jimunai North Desert Scenic Area

Jimunai North Desert Scenic Area

The North Desert Scenic Area is situated 40 kilometers northwest of the county town, encompassing nearly 2,000 square kilometers of white desert where undulating sand dunes stretch as far as the eye can see. The area has an average annual temperature of 4.0°C, with the optimal period for crop growth between April and September when monthly average temperatures range from 15 to 23.8°C. The elevation here is between 540 and 570 meters, and it boasts abundant underground water resources, with an annual exploitable volume of 12 million cubic meters. The North Desert region features unique scenery. Due to the high groundwater level, it is home to a diverse and precious array of flora and fauna. Currently, the area grows various valuable medicinal herbs such as Cistanche, Ephedra, Licorice, and Astragalus, as well as tree species including Black Jujube, Sea Buckthorn, Wild Hawthorn, and Goji Berries. It also provides habitat to several rare species, such as Populus euphratica (Euphrates poplar), Rock Birch, wild camels, sand foxes, wild horses, antelopes, and Mongolian gazelles, all of which hold significant value for sightseeing, development, and conservation. In autumn, the branches are adorned with wild fruits in vibrant hues—red, yellow, black, and brown—each taking on unique forms. Meanwhile, the leaves of the frost-kissed Euphrates poplars and Rock Birches glow a brilliant red, immersing visitors in a bright and refreshing painted gallery. These distinctive features of Jimunai’s desert region offer excellent conditions for tourism development, making it an ideal destination for sightseeing, leisure, and adventure, with huge potential for tourism exploitation. To date, our county has invested over 2 million yuan in constructing roads to the North Desert. Additionally, building upon existing infrastructure, two camel-shaped and two sheep-shaped sand sculptures have been created. In the summer of 2006, the North Desert welcomed 2,000 visitors, including more than 600 who came for sand therapy.