kumtag desert

Kumtag Desert is located in the eastern edge of Turpan, Xinjiang, 90 kilometers away from Turpan city. It is the closest desert to the city in the world. Kumtag means "Sand Mountain" in Uyghur. The formation of Kumtag Desert is mainly due to the strong wind coming from qijiaojing tuyere and Dabancheng tuyere of Tianshan Mountain. Along the way, it carries a lot of sand, and finally meets, collides and deposits in Kumtag area, forming a unique landscape of "desert with Sand Mountain".

Desert landform includes sand nest, honeycomb sand, flat sand, wavy sand dune, fish scale sand slope, desert Gobi mixed land, etc. The sand dune has clear outline and distinct layers; the ridge line of the dune is smooth and smooth; the sand slope on the windward side is like water, and the sand slope on the leeward side is like flowing sand. Standing on the top of the sand mountain deep in the desert, you can watch the gorgeous sunrise of the desert, witness the colorful sand dyed by the setting sun, and praise the magnificent scene of "the desert is straight and the river is falling".

For ordinary tourists, visiting Kumtag Desert refers to the Sand Mountain Park (Kumtag Desert Park) in the south of Shanshan County, Turpan, which is close to the desert and the most convenient place to play in the desert. There are many entertainment items in the park, such as sand skiing, desert SUV, etc. you can pay for the experience. It's better to play here for 3-4 hours. However, it should be noted that sunscreen and dust-proof equipment should be prepared, and enough drinking water should be brought.

In addition, there are two hiking routes in Kumtag Desert. One is from the desert park to Lanlan Township, about 10 kilometers away, which can be finished in one day. The other is from the desert park to dikaner village on the southwest side of the desert. The whole route is more than 40 kilometers, also known as the South North crossing. Because the sand road is difficult to walk, it takes about three days to complete, and the intensity is relatively high. It should be noted that hiking in the desert is risky, which is not suitable for ordinary tourists without outdoor experience, let alone travel. It is suggested that outdoor enthusiasts follow the professional team and prepare enough desert crossing equipment.

kumtag desert

Kumutag desert is located at the junction of western Gansu Province and southeastern Xinjiang (referred to as Ganxin Kumutag desert). It is roughly located in the front line of Aqike Valley Dunhuang Yadan National Geopark in the north, Altyn mountain in the south, big ear in Lop Nur in the west, Mingsha mountain in Dunhuang and nananba National Nature Reserve in the East. The desert area is about 22000 square kilometers. It is one of the eight deserts in China.

geographical position

Kumtag Desert in Ganxin

Historical records

According to records, this place is "eight hundred li long, called Shahe in ancient times, with no birds in sight, no animals under it, and no water and grass again". The natural environment is extremely harsh. Here, Xuanzang encountered the most dangerous test on his journey to the west, and only with his faith and perseverance did he cross the place.

The biography of master Sanzang of dacien temple in the Tang Dynasty (Zhonghua Book Company, 2000, P. 17) says: "in the night, the demons raise fire and are as bright as stars; in the day, the bad wind embraces the sand and scattered as rain."

Mohe Yanqi, in the southeast of Yizhou (now Hami, Xinjiang), is a Changqi outside Yumen pass.

Moheyanqi, also known as 800 Li Hanhai, is the famous gashun Gobi between Hami and Anxi. It is the most concentrated and complex place of Gobi distribution on the connecting belt between the east of Xinjiang and the west end of Hexi corridor.

The climate in this area is extremely arid, with annual precipitation less than 30mm. It is the most dry and denuded plateau area, and almost all the ground is barren.

Also because of the proximity to Anxi, affected by the strong wind in Anxi, there are strong winds all the year round. In addition, kumtagshalong and Yadan are widely distributed, adding a variety of flavor.

"Four nights five days without a drop (water) stained throat, mouth dry coke, almost will die.". The 800 Li moheyan drift sand between Yiwu and Guazhou is a nightmare for anyone to recall.

After passing through this dangerous quicksand River, Tang Xuanzang still had a lingering fear when he thought about Mohe Yanqi: "Mohe Yanqi is 800 Li long, which was called Shahe in ancient times. (journey to the west turns it into a turbulent river of flowing sand, where monk Sha is waiting for the story of Xuanzang.) There are no birds above, no animals below, no water and grass below. Four nights and five days, my stomach will be dry and scorched. When you look around at a loss, at night, the demons will raise fire, bright as stars, at day, the wind will rush to embrace the sand, scattered as rain. "

Coincidentally, the famous explorer and cultural robber of the 19th century, pulgewalski's passing moheyanqi was also startled, which verified Xuanzang's feelings.

One day in 1879, he wrote in his diary: "Daqi is 110 kilometers in diameter and 1600 meters above sea level. It is a wavy plain with high platforms everywhere. It is like a tower of loess cliffs. The soil is covered with pebbles mixed with gravel. There are no plants, animals, even lizards and insects in the Gobi. During the day, the ground is hot and covered with a layer of turbid air like smog, The bones of mules, horses and camels can be seen everywhere along the way, presenting a very terrible phenomenon. "

This is the true portrayal of moheyanqi, a desolate world without life.

Mohe Yanqi is mainly wind erosion Gobi landform with desolation anomaly. Mohe Yanqi was a paradise for adventurers long before the Jade Road and silk road.

Apart from the well-known North Road and Beixin Road on the Silk Road, there is only one convenient and risky Road, namely, the Mohe Yanqi, which connects Loulan road to Loulan, Dahai road to Gaochang and Wuchuan road to Hami.

Mohe Yanqi is like the fire of a sword. After this pass, it will become a real sharp blade.

In a sense, after the baptism of moheyanqi, Xuanzang has been reborn. He has completed the sublimation of fearlessness for all hardships and hardships, which has played a key role in his final success in climbing the Congling mountain to reach the bodhi tree of ancient India.

Address: kumutage scenic area, Shanshan County, Turpan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Longitude: 90.207046

Latitude: 42.843087

Tel: 0995-8389696; 0995-83

Tour time: half a day - 1 day

Traffic information: take the shuttle bus from Turpan new bus station to Shanshan (there are not many trains, the departure time is determined according to the number of tickets sold, and you need to buy tickets and wait for people to fill up before you leave). After you get to Shanshan, take a taxi of 5 yuan to desert park, and it takes about 20 minutes to walk.

Ticket information: 30 yuan / person

Opening hours: all day

Chinese PinYin : Ku Mu Ta Ge Sha Mo