Alxa League Populus Euphratica Forest Scenic Area

Alxa League Populus Euphratica Forest Scenic Area

The Alxa League Populus Euphratica Forest Scenic Area is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.

When traveling to Alxa League in the westernmost part of Inner Mongolia, you can’t miss the Populus euphratica trees, and the best place to see them is in Ejin Banner. Ejin currently has 380,000 mu of Populus euphratica forest, making it one of only three remaining major Populus euphratica regions in the world—the other two being the Sahara Desert in North Africa and the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin of Xinjiang.

From Murgen Gol to Gaxun Nur and Subei Nur, there is a vast natural forest belt about 200 kilometers long, with the widest point at 15 kilometers and the narrowest at 1 kilometer. The main tree species here are Populus euphratica, tamarisk, and saxaul. Locals refer to some areas along this belt as First Bridge, Second Bridge, Eighth Bridge, and so on.

The First, Second, and Seventh Bridges are ideal spots for viewing the Populus euphratica forest, while the end of the Eighth Bridge leads into the Badain Jaran Desert. As a result, the Eighth Bridge (located 20 kilometers east of Dalaihubu Town) has effectively become a combined Populus euphratica and desert sightseeing area.

Commonly known as "Hu Tong" in Chinese and "Tao Lai" in Mongolian, the Populus euphratica has a history of over 100 million years and is an extraordinarily resilient desert plant. It is said that it lives for a thousand years without dying, stands for a thousand years after death, and remains unrotted for a thousand years once fallen. Another fascinating feature is the shape of its leaves: young leaves resemble pine needles or willow catkins, mature leaves look like birch, and old leaves are oval-shaped. Even on the same tree, you can find different types of leaves. During maturity, white seed fluff can drift for over 100 days, and a single tree can sprout a forest covering one mu of land. The Populus euphratica can survive in temperatures ranging from minus 42.3 degrees Celsius to 49.6 degrees Celsius, and remains unharmed even when submerged in water for 150 days. In the western Gobi, there is a grove of dead Populus euphratica trees—some standing upright, others lying prone, some appearing to cry out to the sky, and others seeming to mourn the world. They stand firmly against the strong wind on the sandy plains, refusing to fall, like a group of warriors who fought to their last breath. This solemn, desolate scene is referred to by locals as the "Forest of the Strange Trees."

The Sacred Populus Euphratica Tree is located in Yabutu Gacha, Subei Sumu, east of Dalaihubu Town. It is said that 300 years ago, when the Torghut Mongols returned to the east from the Volga River region and first arrived here, the dense Populus euphratica forest prevented their camels and horses from finding food. So they set the forest on fire, but one large tree remained completely unscathed. People then revered it as a sacred tree. Major species and attractions include the Populus euphratica forest, tamarisk forest, deserts, Gobi landscapes, Juyanhai Lake, the Badain Jaran Desert, and the Sacred Tree; as well as the Jiayu Ruins, Heicheng Ruins, Lücheng Ruins, Datongcheng Ruins, Juyan City, Five Pagodas, and Hongchengzi.

Further Reading:

· The 35th Batch of National AAAAA-Level Tourist Attractions (January 2020)