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Friday, 10 October 2014

China Silk Road Travel Part 18: Kumtag Desert


Kumtag Desert was the last place we visited in Xinjiang. The unique thing about this desert is it is located in town! To be exact,at the edge of the town of Shanshan County, some 95 km from Turpan. 
Kumtag Desert is a section of the Taklamakan Desert. It was turned into a national park in 2002. Here visitors can pay to enjoy some adventure rides up the sand dunes, take a camel ride, etc. 
It was very hot here and we had to carry umbrellas to prevent ourselves from being scorched.
This desert is still expanding and threatening to engulf the productive land in the vicinity.
desert bells
A lonely cart in Kumtag
Contented camels
Lily's Shadow
A long ride on the buggy brought us to the exit which is pretty far from the entrance to the park. We passed by many interesting sand statues in the desert but too bad, the buggy did not stop for us to take photos of them. There is one zoomed shot below. Anyway the exit is no longer deserty. It is an oases where grapes grow in abundance.
A sand statue in Kumtag
Grapes, oh luscious grapes, at the exit.
A fine of 50 CNY for plucking the grapes, it says.
The exit


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