Tengger Desert (Tenggeli Desert)

Tengger Desert, also called Tenggeli Desert in Chinese, is located in southwestern Alxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.  It borders the Gansu Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Tengger Desert is 240 kilometers (149 miles) from north to south, and 160 kilometers (99 miles) from east to west, making it the fourth largest desert in China with a size of 43,000 square kilometers (16,602 sq miles). Sand dunes cover 71 percent of this area, accompanied by several inner lakes, flatlands, grasslands and hills. At first glance, this large-scale desert seems to extend to reach the blue sky.

Location Map of Tengger Desert

 

Camel Riding in Tengger Desert

The first thing on the agenda when tourists pay a visit to Tengger Desert is camel riding. Riding on a camel, visitors can get great pictures from another perspective. Moreover, the ringing camel bells seem to take visitors back to the remote past.
 

Tengger Desert is a paradise for lovers of hiking and adventure. Wear suitable shoes and pack adequate food and water. If you are not energetic enough for that, jeeps are provided to take visitors through the desert. 
 

Staying overnight in the Tengger Desert, visitors can appreciate millions of stars shining brightly in the clear sky and watch an overwhelming sun rising gradually from the vast desert next morning.
 

Sand sliding is the most popular one, providing special areas for children and adults. Or some adventurous tourists can try desert surfing. Visitors need to fasten their seat belts when surfing across the desert by SUV. 
 

Swan Lake is the most famous one among all the inner lakes of the Tengger Desert. Along the lake shore are many sand jujube trees. The best time to visit Swan Lake is March to May. Many swans roost and play here in late March and early April; at the same time visitors can enjoy flourishing Malan flowers. In May, sand jujube trees turn green and make clear reflections on the lake. Another best time to visit is September, when the swans take a rest here on the way from north to south to spend the winter.
 

Another attractive scenic area is Moon Lake, around 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Swan Lake.  It is a favorable desert adventure camp site. Visitors are advised to take a SUV heading to the camp. Surprisingly, half of the lake is fresh water, and another part is salty water. The shape of Moon Lake is similar to that of a map of China.
 

Generally speaking, tourists are likely to start their trip from Yinchuan or Zhongwei which are about 130 kilometers (80 miles) and 180 kilometers (110 miles) away respectively. 

From Yinchuan: Take a long-distance bus at Yinchuang Passenger Station to Shapotou, and get off at Tengger Desert. It takes about 2 hours.

From Zhongwei: Charter a car from Zhongwei City. It takes about CNY 50 for a single trip. 

If starting from Alxa Left Banner, the best and easiest way is chartering a car, which takes about CNY150 for a 1-way trip and CNY 200 for a round-trip.

Entrance Fee	1. CNY 40 for Swan Lake 2. CNY 100 for Moon Lake Tip: Visitors need to pay extra fee for entertainment facilities.