On this four day expedition you’ll experience life in the desert, with two days of hiking and one night of camping in the Tengger Desert region of the Alashan Plateau, adjacent to the huge Gobi Desert. We’ll visit desert lakes and oases, traveling through the dunes by foot, by jeep, and by camel! On the last day of the trip we’ll visit the Western Xia Imperial Tombs, taking a look at the distinctive pyramid-shaped burial mounds.
Trip overview
Day One main activities
Fly to Yinchuan; visit Helanshan Petroglyphs, Yinchuan Mosque, overnight in Yinchuan.
Day Two main activities
Drive to the desert; hiking and jeep travel between desert lakes and oases, overnight in tents at desert campsite.
Day Three main activities
Hiking and travel by jeep and camel between desert lakes and oases, drive back to Yinchuan.
Day Four main activities
Visit Han Dynasty Great Wall, visit Western Xia Imperial Tombs, Yinchuan Pagoda, fly back to Beijing.
Prices and inclusions
Prices
* Price on request for smaller groups. Includes return flights from/to Beijing.
Group size
6–7
8+
Kids price
Price per person
Price TBC
¥8,100
¥7,100
Inclusions
Return flights from/to Beijing
• Transport in private vehicles during the trip
• Jeep support in desert (transport luggage, some driving)
• Accommodation at hotel
• One night camping in the desert, including camping equipment
• Main meals, drinks with meals, bottled water
• Tickets and entry fees
• Beijing Hikers staff guide
• Local guides as required
This breathtaking region attracts visitors with its unique desert landscape, vibrant cultural diversity, and rich history. Alashan is located in the westernmost part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, bordered in the north by Mongolia, in the south and west by Gansu province. This area encompasses several different deserts, including the Badanjilin, the Ulan Buh, and the Tengger. Hundreds of saltwater and freshwater lakes can be found in these deserts, including a few which we will be visiting.
Historical evidence of human presence in Alashan dates back as far as 6,000 years ago, when the Mandela Mountain Rock Paintings were carved. 28 ethnic groups including Han, Mongolian and Hui people inhabit this 270,000-square-kilometer (104,247 square miles) land.
The name of the Tengger Desert comes from the Mongolian word for “sky.” The Tengger is classic sand desert: endless waves of sand dunes broken only by the occasional rocky crag. Located in the south-eastern part of Alashan, with an area of about 30,000 square kilometers, this desert is the fourth largest of its kind in China.
Many of the dunes found in the Tengger Desert are crescent-shaped, formed by winds that mostly blow in the same direction. Because of this, the Tengger is China's fastest moving desert, frequently threatening to bury railway lines as its dunes shift across the land. We’ll get deep into the desert, where it’s sand dunes in every direction, as far as the eye can see—quite a sensation!
Lakes and Oases
Somewhat surprisingly, more than 500 fresh- and salt-water lakes and oases can be found in the Alashan Desert. On this trip we will visit or pass by Nuoritu Lake, Yellow Grass Lake, Moon Lake, and Temotu Lake, where we will set up camp.
The story of the Western Xia (1036–1227 AD) Dynasty is interesting—a fierce beginning, consolidation of an empire, then a gradual decay due to scheming and corruption, and then an extended finale featuring 20 years of attacks by the Mongolian army, during which it’s said Genghis Khan received a mortal wound. The site of the tombs features an excellent exhibit that uses life-size models and murals to tell the entire story.
In the end, they were completely extinguished by the Mongolian army of Genghis Khan and his sons, leaving only the pyramid-shaped tombs of the early kings.
The near-total destruction of their capital and records means that little is known about the Tangut nomads who founded the Western Xia Dynasty.
Much of what is known is based on records of the neighbouring Liao (907-1125 AD) and Song (960–1279 AD) Dynasties, as well as the results of excavation of the tombs.
The capital of the Western Xia was sited very close to Yinchuan, and the tombs are around 40km west of the city, on the way to the desert. To date, nine king’s mausoleums and 250 smaller associated tombs have been discovered, and one of the main tombs has been opened to visits.
