Taklimakan Desert

Taklimakan Desert is ranked as the largest moving desert in China and the second largest in the world. It is as wide as the sea stretches boundlessly. The total area reaches up to 330,000 square kilometers (127,414 square miles) with the length of more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from east to west and over 400 kilometers (249 miles) wide from south to north. This boundless sea of sand is considered as the 'Sea of Death' and 'the Place that nobody can leave after Entry'. However, Taklimakan is accounted as the old house in Mongolian language. The reason is that it used to be a beautiful oasis with countless brilliant civilization instead of a desert.

Taklimakan Desert is in the center of Talimu Basin in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Sitting in the hinterland of Eurasia, it is encircled by the 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) high mountains at three sides, namely, Tianshan mountain ranges in the north, the magnificent Qinghai-Tibet plateau in the south and the mystical Pamirs in the west. There is seldom rain all year round here. What is available here is the hot sun in the daytime, the extreme coldness at night and the lasting gale. Even so, it is not the 'life forbidding zone' as imagined. The high mountains around prevent the vapor from it but providing it with pure melt water. All these rivers such as Hetian River, Keliya river, Niya river, Andi'er river etc originate from the snow mountain. Either do they run through the hinterland of the desert or break up into the triangular water fading away far in the desert. What are marked on the yellow desert is the green passages. Thanks to the great rivers, Silk Road passed through the dreadful 'Sea of Death'. The great civilizations met and communicated here resulting in the prosperity of the desert.   

Being a lengthy road passing through central Asia, Silk Road was officially recorded as early as 1st BC in Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). Over 70,000 kilometers (43,496 miles) long road connected ancient Chinese civilization with ancient Greek, ancient Babylon as well as ancient Indian culture together. In the following centuries, great civilizations clustered and thrived in Taklimakan Desert. A lot of precious historic relics were excavated here just like portrait of winged angel, Chinese brocade, Roman column, Indian Buddha statue and so forth. The technique of Chinese silkworm-raising, powder, paper-making and silk were spread to Central Asia and Rome. Meanwhile, Islam, astronomy, maths and Nestorianism were introduced to China. Silk Road rewrote the history of the world, while Taklimakan Desert was the very witness of this great reform. 

According to the historical records, the 36 west countries once prospered. They were like the pearls scattering in the desert. However, during the baptism of thousands of years, the brilliance of Taklimakan decayed as time went by, the desert took the oases mercilessly. The past boom was buried in the endless sand dunes. 

Since the 19th century, Taklimakan Desert has become the paradise for the explorers and archaeologists. The discovery of the legendary ruins like Loulan, Niya, and Milan etc reminded generations of Chinese descendants of fragment of the primeval culture. Up till now, too many stories and antiques have still been buried and veiled in mystery in the unbounded sea of sand. 

 Best Time to Visit: Late Oct. to Mid Nov.
 Travel Tips for Taklimakan Desert:
A. It is not a comfortable trip to travel around the desert, so visitors need to be fully perpared both psychologically and physically;
B. Food and money are largely demanded during the trip;
C. There are strong wind and dust in the desert, so you need to keep your camera or video camera from sand or dust.