Taklamakan

Taklamakan

Taklamakan is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Taklamakan Desert is located in the center of the Tarim Basin, stretching approximately 1,000 kilometers from east to west and about 400 kilometers from north to south, covering an area of 337,600 square kilometers, second only to

Africa’s Sahara Desert, making it the second largest desert in the world. In Uyghur, “Taklamakan” means: you can go in but not

come out, and it is also called the “Sea of Death.” Legend has it that long ago, people yearned to divert snowmelt from the Tianshan and Kunlun Mountains

to irrigate the arid Tarim Basin. A kind-hearted deity possessed two treasures: a golden axe

and a golden key. Moved by the sincerity of the people, the deity gave the golden axe to the Kazakh people

to split open the Altai Mountains and bring forth the clear snowmelt. He intended to give the golden key to the Uyghur people so they

could unlock the treasure vault of the Tarim Basin. Unfortunately, the golden key was lost by the deity’s young daughter, Magusa, and ever since, the central part of the basin

has become the Taklamakan Desert. The desert features vast areas of shifting sand dunes, typically 100–200 meters high, with the tallest reaching around 300 meters.

The dunes are diverse and complex in form, with compound dunes and ridges resembling giant dragons lying on the earth, and tower-like dune clusters forming various honeycomb,

feather-like, and fish-scale patterns that are ever-changing. There are two striking red-and-white sand dunes in the desert, known as “Sacred Tomb Mountain,” composed respectively of red sandstone and white

gypsum, formed by exposed sedimentary rock. The wind-eroded mushrooms on “Sacred Tomb Mountain” are uniquely spectacular, standing about 5 meters tall, with massive caps that can shelter over 10

people. During the day, the Taklamakan Desert bakes under the scorching sun, with blinding silver sands and surface temperatures that

can sometimes soar to 70–80 degrees Celsius. Intense evaporation makes the landscape shimmer and shift, and

desert travelers often spot mirages looming in the distance. Along the banks of the Yarkand River, Tarim River, Hotan River, and Cherchen River, which encircle the desert,

dense stands of populus euphratica (desert poplar) and tamarisk shrubs thrive, creating “green islands in the sea of sand.”

Beneath the sand lies abundant groundwater and mineral resources such as oil.

Island.” Beneath the sand layer lie abundant underground water resources and mineral deposits such as oil.