Located about 20 kilometers west of Zhongwei City in Ningxia, at the southeast edge of Tengger Desert, Shapotou Scenic Area covers a total area of 4599.3 hectares, and it is the first national desert ecological nature reserve in China. Combining the desert, Yellow River, mountains, and oases into one place, Shapotou has been praised as the world’s monopolistic tourism resource.
Shapotou, literally meaning “high sand dunes”, are large undulating sand dunes formed by the wind and sand of Tengger Desert. With the vast Tengger Desert in the north and the magnificent Yellow River in the south, as well as a wide selection of unique and exciting activities, Shapotou is a renowned desert ecol-tourism destination and a popular destination on the Silk Road.
Facts About Shapotou
- Address: Yingshuiqiao Town, Shapotou District, Zhongwei City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
- Opening hours: 08:00-18:00
- Ticket price: 80 RMB per adult during peak season (April 1st to October 31st); 50 RMB per adult during off-season (November 1st to March 31st)
- Time needed: About 0.5-1 day
What to See and Do in Shapotou
Spectacular Desert and River Sight
The Tang Dynasty poet Wang Wei once wrote a famous line: “In the boundless desert, lonely smokes rise straight; over the endless river the sun sinks round”. Standing on the high sand dunes at Shapotou, you can see this grand sight.
Shapotou in Zhongwei has a unique terrain and landform. The Yellow River, which flows here, turns an S-shaped bend at the foot of a huge sand dune and then flows gently. This unique S-shaped bend of Shapotou, resembling the Chinese Yin Yang Tai Chi diagram, was once introduced as a world wonder by National Geographic.
You may be also interested in: 6 Most Famous Deserts in China
Riding Camel and Desert Safari
You can ride a camel across the Shapotou desert. Listening to the sound of camel bells and watching the afterglow of the sunset, it feels like traveling back to the ancient Silk Road.
Then, you can take “a desert bus”, “desert jeep”, etc. to enter the depths of the Tengger Desert, enjoying the scenery of the vast sand and experiencing the speed and passion brought by desert Safari.
Sheepskin Rafting
Taking a sheepskin raft cruise on the Yellow River is definitely not to be missed when traveling to Shapotou. Sitting on a raft in the midst of the surging Yellow River, guided by the oars of a boatman, watching the magnificent scenery on both sides, listening to the folk songs, and experiencing ancient wisdom — it is very thrilling and interesting.
Sands Slide
Shapotou has the largest sand sliding field in China, nearly 200 meters long and 80 meters high. If the weather is clear and the temperature rises, when sliding down from the sand slope, it makes a loud noise. This phenomenon is titled “The Tolling of Bells in Shapotou”.
In addition, you can ride on the Yellow River Aerial Cableway, flying over the Yellow River, feeling the wind whistling in your ears and the Yellow River rushing under your feet.
Shapotou at night is an excellent place for stargazing. You can stay in the desert for one night, lie on the soft sand and look up at the starry night sky, experiencing the vastness and mystery of the universe.
Every summer, a grand music festival is held here, bringing visitors a spiritual shock and sensory enjoyment.
You can also see “straw checkerboard” here, a sand-fixing system combating desertification and halting the spread of desert.
Best Time to Visit Shapotou
Shapotou belongs to the arid climate zone, with the winter and spring seasons relatively cold, while the summer relatively hot. The best travel time is in the spring and autumn seasons, namely from April to May and from September to October. At this time, the temperature in the desert is moderate, making it very suitable for outdoor and adventure activities.
Tips:
- Prepare various sun protection products in advance. Very Important!!!
- Prepare shoe covers, or wear shoes and socks suitable for walking in the desert.
- Drink plenty of water due to the dry climate in desert areas.
- Bring appropriate clothing, especially warm clothing, due to significant temperature differences in desert areas.
How to Get to Shapotou
You can take an airplane, train, or drive a car to Zhongwei City.
After arriving at Zhongwei, you can take the No. 2 bus directly to the Shapotou Scenic Area. Or drive to Shapotou, which takes around 30 minutes.
Related Ningxia Tours to Shapotou
- 3 Days Ningxia Desert Tour with Winery Experience
- 5 Days Ningxia Tour: Wine Tasting & Desert Camping
Aside from the most brilliant scenic spot Shapotou, Tengger Desert has many other fascinating tourism resources.
Beyond Shapotou: Explore Tengger Desert – The Fourth Largest Desert in China
Spanning central Gansu, northern Ningxia, and southwestern Alxa Left Banner of Inner Mongolia, Tengger Desert covers a total area of more than 30,000 square kilometers, with an altitude of about 1200~1400 meters. Tengger means as vast as the sky. Within Tengger Desert, there are sand dunes, lake basins, grassy lands, shallow mountain hills, salt marshes, and plains interspersed, with sand dunes accounting for 71% of the total area, and most are moving dunes.
Tengger Desert features magnificent sand peaks, fine and soft sand grains, and a golden shiny desert color. There are more than 200 primitive lakes deep in the Tengger Desert, forming a beautiful desert oasis scene.
- Moon Lake, resembling a map of China, is half freshwater and half salt- Moon Lake has great purification ability, and the lake water has a natural medicinal bath formula.
- Swan Lake is located at the eastern edge of Tengger Desert. Every spring and autumn, various migratory birds such as swans, ducks, and cranes stop here.
- Tonghu Grasslandgathers various natural and cultural landscapes such as deserts, salt lakes, wetland grasslands, sand springs, oases, pastoral villages, and rock paintings, and is known as the “Eden in the Desert”.
There is a solar park in the Tengger Desert of Inner Mongolia, which covers an area of 43 square kilometers and has more than 7 million photovoltaic panels. It is one of the largest solar power stations in the world.
In Tengger Desert, you can ride a camel or hike across the desert; experience desert Safari and thrilling sand slide; camp in the desert, and gaze up at the stars in the night sky. Stay in a yurt, attend a bonfire party, and taste authentic cuisine to experience the unique charm of Mongolian culture.
Tengger Desert is desolate but full of vitality. In addition to the “Desert Boat” camel, there are also many magical animals here, such as the cute small-sized sand fox, brown-skinned sand lizard, the “Sky King” eagle, hedgehog, and so on. When hiking in the desert, remember to look for them carefully~
Tengger Desert, especially Shapotou in Ningxia, attracts many tourists to explore and feel its charm with its unique natural scenery and rich tourism experience.
