Ruoqiang County in Xinjiang announced on the 13th that a desert canyon has been discovered in the Lop Nur area, more than 300 kilometers from Ruoqiang County town. The canyon is over 60 kilometers long, making it the longest desert canyon found in China so far and very likely the largest desert canyon in the world.
It is reported that during the Dragon Boat Festival on June 11, well-known Chinese explorer Wu Shiguang and several adventure tourism enthusiasts visited the canyon. The explorers drove from Ruoqiang County town, reached the southern bank of Lop Nur via Provincial Highway 235, and then drove eastward along the foothills of the Altun Mountains to the entrance of the canyon. The scenery inside the canyon is varied, with ever-changing deposits of sand and rocks displaying a wonder of nature’s craftsmanship.
In addition, seasonal rivers formed during the rainy season in the Altun Mountains have carved out a winding river channel. The canyon features various types of vegetation and boasts the world’s only feathery dunes at its top. Towering columnar stone formations line both sides of the canyon, with richly layered structures made up of sandstone, gravel, and clay, creating a myriad of unique columnar rock landscapes—such as the “Chang’e Flying to the Moon,” “Guanyin Holding a Child,” and naturally formed animal-shaped rock formations… The tallest reach over 50 meters, standing majestically and breathtakingly.
While walking through the canyon, the explorers discovered numerous footprints of wild camels and Mongolian gazelles. According to Wu Shiguang, judging by the footprints, there seems to be a group of wild camels in the canyon—an occurrence that is quite rare throughout the entire Lop Nur Wild Camel Nature Reserve.
According to Wu Shiguang, this grand canyon was discovered during a rescue mission. It is located on the southern bank of Lop Nur, south of the Kumtag Desert, in the transitional zone between Lop Nur and the Altun Mountains. The canyon runs from north to south, formed by the accumulation of desert and gravel rocks, as well as continuous erosion by seasonal rivers originating from the Altun Mountains during the rainy season.
Wu Shiguang said: “Ruoqiang County boasts dense and unique tourism resources, especially in terms of special interest tourism, which is unparalleled elsewhere in the country and meets the standards of world-class tourism resources. The Lop Nur Canyon features rich and diverse landscapes and has excellent development potential, making it an ideal destination for hiking and exploration.”
Jiao Yingxin, Director of the Ruoqiang County Tourism Bureau, stated: “Ruoqiang County is a region in China with a relatively concentrated collection of special tourism resources, and the Lop Nur Canyon is a typical representative among them. The tourism department of Ruoqiang County will actively develop the Lop Nur Canyon and establish Ruoqiang as China’s ‘Number One County for Adventure Tourism,’ helping Ruoqiang’s tourism industry expand beyond Xinjiang and reach the world.”
Wu Shiguang is a well-known Chinese explorer who has traveled to 57 countries and has over 20 years of hiking experience. He officially began engaging in field exploration in 1990 and has long served as a guide, leading research teams, exploration groups, archaeological teams, and tour groups to Lop Nur and Loulan. He has visited the Rop Nur area of Ruoqiang County over 200 times, successfully crossed Lop Nur, the Altun Mountains, and the Taklamakan Desert, and designed adventure routes such as “Ruoqiang–Lop Nur,” “Korla–Lop Nur,” and “Dunhuang–Lop Nur.”