Tengger Desert

The Tengger Desert is located primarily in the Alxa League of Inner Mongolia, China, covering approximately 36,000 square kilometers. It lies near the upper reaches of the Yellow River and is bordered by the Helan Mountains to the east.

Yes, despite being an arid dune desert, the Tengger contains numerous saline and freshwater lakes, many nestled among its extensive sand dunes. These lakes are a major draw for tourists visiting the Shapotou scenic area on its southeastern edge.

Shapotou is a research and tourism area on the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert that became internationally famous for pioneering desertification control methods along the Baotou–Lanzhou Railway. Scientists developed straw-grid sand barriers to stabilize dunes and prevent sand from burying the rail tracks.

At approximately 36,000 square kilometers, the Tengger is significantly smaller than China's largest desert, the Taklamakan (over 330,000 square kilometers). It is part of a broader belt of arid landscapes in northern China that also includes the Badain Jaran Desert to its northwest.