Atlas of China
Badain Jaran Desert 巴丹吉林沙漠Bādānjílín Shāmò
Some of Earth's tallest dunes, with lakes tucked into the hollows between them
- Best time
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Time needed
- 2 days
- Days to budget
- 2 days
- Stay in
- Alxa Right Banner
- Region
- Inner Mongolia
- Type
- Nature
- Listed as
- 4A scenic area, UNESCO World Heritage
Why go to Badain Jaran Desert
The Badain Jaran holds some of the tallest stationary sand dunes on Earth, great ridges that rise hundreds of metres above the desert floor. Between them lie more than a hundred small lakes, some fresh and some briny, and most visitors go in by 4x4 with local drivers who tackle slopes that look impossibly steep.
The story
Why so many lakes survive in one of China's driest corners is still debated: much of their water seeps up from underground, but scientists disagree on where it first fell as rain or snow. On one lakeshore stands the small white Badain Jaran Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery deep among the dunes.
What to see at Badain Jaran Desert
- Bilutu Peak 必鲁图峰: The dune nicknamed the Everest of the desert: about 1,600 m above sea level and roughly 450 m above its base, the tallest stationary dune on Earth. Sources differ by a few tens of metres on both figures.
- Singing dunes 鸣沙: The desert is one of the few places where the sand 'sings': slide down a dry leeward slope in summer and it hums or booms.
- Lakes among the dunes 沙漠湖泊: More than 100 small lakes lie between the megadunes, mostly in the south-east; some are fresh, many are salty, and some change colour with algae and brine shrimp.
- Badain Jaran Temple 巴丹吉林庙: A small Gelug Tibetan Buddhist temple beside the lake of Sumin Jilin, deep in the dunes, still visited by pilgrims; sources disagree on whether it dates from 1755 or 1868.
How to visit Badain Jaran Desert
Join a licensed 4x4 trip from Alxa Right Banner; the core visit takes a day, and an overnight lets you see sunrise and sunset on the dunes. Day trips focus on Bilutu Peak, the singing dunes and one or two lakes; a night adds the temple and more remote lakes.
How to get to Badain Jaran Desert
Licensed 4x4 operators run day and overnight trips into the dunes from Alxa Right Banner, a small town with its own airport and road links to Zhangye in Gansu.
Where to stay
Stay in the town of Alxa Right Banner (Badain Jaran airport is there) for hotels and to organise the 4x4, or in lakeside guesthouses inside the desert for sunrise and sunset.
What to eat
- Hand-grabbed lamb 手把肉: Mutton boiled on the bone, usually served at desert guesthouses and in Alxa Right Banner.
- Mongolian milk tea 奶茶: Salty milk tea, welcome on cold desert evenings.
Tips for visiting Badain Jaran Desert
- Go only with a licensed local driver; tracks are unmarked and phone signal is patchy.
- Stay a night in a lakeside guesthouse to see the dunes at sunset and sunrise.
- Pack sunglasses, a scarf against blowing sand and warm layers for cold desert nights.
Nearby
Also within 30 km: Badain Jaran Temple 巴丹吉林庙 (10 km).
On the map
Open Badain Jaran Desert on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.
Open Badain Jaran Desert on the map