Things to do in Alxa

Populus euphratica forests across China each have their own unique characteristics. I've visited Tarim River, Lop Nur Village, Zepu, and Naomohu Lake in Xinjiang. Ejin Banner has a relatively large area and beautiful colors.

Upon arriving at the Yellow River area, we headed straight there. We wanted to try the famous "Flying Yellow River" (Yellow River Zipline). The package included a round-trip cable car ticket uphill, which was thoughtful, but it was incredibly crowded today. We queued for almost an hour, put on the ropes, and when it was our turn, we were told we couldn't wear glasses! My heart sank. But the ride itself was still exhilarating, and we were even able to ride back up – excellent value for money! Afterwards, we went sandboarding. No long queues! We found a less crowded, steep slope, sat firmly, gripped the board tightly, didn't brake, closed our eyes, and just went down. The sand was fine, the speed was fast, the wind was whistling, and landing with a mouthful of sand was still fun. Finally, a reminder: bring plenty of water, wear sunscreen, and be careful as dust easily gets into your phone in the sand. Put it in a sealed bag, and wash your face in the Yellow River afterwards – perfect!

The three attractions are located together. Starting from Heishui New City, the attractions are the Weak Water Poplar Forest and the Strange Tree Forest. The most unique attraction is the Strange Tree Forest, where trees have stood for thousands of years without decaying. The wind and sand were too strong and it was too cold, otherwise I would have stayed until sunset before heading back. The open-air train was very cold to sit on. The restrooms were extremely basic and dirty; I thought I had entered a dry toilet. There was basically no service.

As a national treasure and a place for patriotic education, I think it's well worth the visit. The entire process is led and explained by a guide. It includes a distant view of the launch tower, a visit to the Wentian Pavilion (the site of the press conference), and the aerospace exhibition hall. The whole process takes about three hours.

A very nice little scenic spot, it can be said to be a cheaper alternative to the Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon in Kuqa, Xinjiang. After lunch at 2:00 pm, you can enter the scenic area and take photos at your leisure for 2-3 hours, and the lighting is just right.

This is a relatively off-the-beaten-path attraction, but it's definitely worth a visit. Located at the intersection of desert and grassland, the "Heavenly Horse Pastoral Song" show, though small in scale, allowed me to experience the carefree life of a nomadic people on horseback. At that moment, I felt a sense that the vast desert cannot nurture a narrow-minded soul. I highly recommend the off-road vehicle experience. The 20-minute extreme off-road adventure in the desert takes you to a green oasis deep within the desert. Sitting down with a relaxing cup of coffee is an experience you can't have in the city.

I got up at 5 a.m. and set off. It was still very cold, and my hands and feet were stiff. There were already a lot of people. After waiting for about an hour, the ☀ (lake) rose up. It was very beautiful, and there were many seagulls flying over the lake. It's a place that is definitely worth visiting.

想象一下，当你深入巴丹吉林沙漠腹地，远离了城市的喧嚣，周围只剩下连绵起伏的沙丘。风是这里唯一的常客，它轻轻拂过沙面，留下细密的纹路，发出细微的沙沙声，仿佛是地球的低语。夜晚，繁星点缀的夜空如同巨大的幕布，笼罩着这片寂静的土地，你能清晰地听到自己的呼吸声，感受到与世隔绝的宁静。这种纯粹的寂静，会让你放下烦恼，沉淀思绪，与内心深处的自我对话。色彩的奇幻交织：巴丹吉林沙漠绝非单调的金色。清晨，当第一缕阳光洒在沙丘上时，会呈现出金红色的光芒，线条分明，层次感极强。随着太阳的升高，沙丘的颜色逐渐变成耀眼的金色。更令人称奇的是那些散落在沙漠中的湖泊，它们的颜色如同宝石般绚丽多彩。有的湖水清澈碧绿，倒映着蓝天白云；有的湖泊因为矿物质的含量不同，呈现出梦幻般的粉红色、翠绿色甚至湛蓝色。这种色彩的奇幻交织，构成了一幅幅令人窒息的画面，仿佛置身于一个超现实的世界。地球脉搏的律动：行走在巴丹吉林沙漠中，你会感受到地球最原始的律动。高耸的沙丘如同凝固的波浪，记录着风的轨迹和时间的流逝。那些坚韧的骆驼草，在干旱的环境中顽强生长，展现出生命的韧性。当你攀登到沙丘顶端，放眼望去，无垠的沙海仿佛延伸到天际，你会感受到大自然的浩瀚和自身的渺小。这种强烈的对比，会让你更加珍惜生命，敬畏自然。独特的地理魅力：巴丹吉林沙漠之所以如此独特，在于其高大的复合型沙丘和众多淡水湖泊并存的奇特景观。科学家们至今仍在研究这些湖泊是如何在干旱的沙漠中形成的。必鲁图峰作为世界最高的沙丘之一，更是吸引了无数探险者。这种独特的地理魅力，使得巴丹吉林沙漠在众多沙漠中脱颖而出。总结：巴丹吉林沙漠不仅仅是一个旅游目的地，更是一片能够触动心灵、引发思考的土地。它以其极致的寂静、绚丽的色彩和原始的震撼力，让每一位到访者都能感受到地球的脉搏。在这里，你可以放慢脚步，沉淀心灵，重新认识自然，感悟生命。如果你渴望一次真正意义上的心灵之旅，那么巴丹吉林沙漠将是你难以忘怀的选择。

The Five Lakes Crossing: Starting and ending at the desert entrance, the route covers Luotuo Lake, Wulan Lake, Danhuang Lake, Hailiuqi Lake, and Jita Lake. The three-hour journey takes us to the edge of Luotuo Lake and Wulan Lake, where we even get to take aerial photos (though I only managed to take them 😂). We didn't get to the other three lakes directly, just observing them from a distance. If you're concerned about this, please be cautious and ask ahead of time. The main purpose of the trip is to experience desert off-roading. The driver was very skilled. The last three photos show the view from a distance.

Heishui City, the ruins of the Black City from the Western Xia Dynasty, is located in the desert of Ejin Banner, Alxa League, Inner Mongolia. It is one of the best-preserved ancient cities along the ancient Silk Road and is now a national key cultural relics protection unit. 🏰 Where is it and what does it look like? Heishui City, known as "Khara-Khoto" in Mongolian, meaning "Black City," is located in the desert on the north bank of the lower reaches of the Ejin River, about 25 kilometers southeast of Dalaihob Town, Ejin Banner. The existing ruins are from the Yuan Dynasty expansion. The city is rectangular, approximately 470 meters long from east to west and 384 meters wide from north to south, covering an area of ​​over 180,000 square meters. The remaining city walls are nearly 10 meters high, and a distinctive stupa stands in the northwest corner. 📜 How did it come to be? This city was first built during the Western Xia Dynasty, serving as the seat of the "Heishan Weifu Military Command," an important border fortress and agricultural and pastoral base. During the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan established the "Yijinai Road General Administration" here, expanding it into a transportation hub connecting the Hexi Corridor to the Mongolian Plateau. The prosperous scene mentioned in Marco Polo's Travels includes this place. After General Feng Sheng's western expedition in the early Ming Dynasty, the city was gradually abandoned and later buried by sand, only to be rediscovered in the early 20th century. 🔍 Why is it so famous? What truly astonished the world about Khara-Khoto was the large number of artifacts and documents unearthed there. In the early 20th century, Russian explorer Kozlov and others excavated more than 8,000 documents in Tangut, Chinese, and Tibetan languages, including the bilingual dictionary *Fan-Han He Shi Zhang Zhong Zhu*, hailed as the "key to unlocking the door to Tangut studies," as well as precious artifacts such as painted double-headed Buddhas and Yuan Dynasty paper money. Unfortunately, many of these artifacts were transported to Russia and are now housed in the Winter Palace and other museums. However, the Khara-Khoto ruins themselves still retain city walls, stupas, and mosque remains, showcasing the coexistence of diverse cultures in those days.