Badain Jaran Desert is the third largest desert in China and famous for its big sand dunes and the many lakes in the desert. Home to Mongolians and it is named after a local settlement's name. Its climte is featured with little rain and strong wind. It is home many desert lakes and big sand dunes. Some dunes are as tall as 400 meters. As many as over 140 lakes scatter in the vast Badain Jaran Desert. These lakes and sand dunes in the desert make Badain Jaran a land of wonders. As part of the arid Gobi Desert, Badain Jaran provides another face of the desert with spring-fed lakes and the ecosystem around the lakes.
Badain Jaran Desert
Badain Jaran Desert is one of the top destinations for desert hiking in China. It is one of the most interesting parts of Gobi Desert In East Asia. A hiking trip into Badain Jaran Desert takes you to see its beautiful sand dunes, green oasis, lakes. With lakes and oasis that have made permanent settlements of yurts or even lodges possible. With fairly easier access by roads and well-developed tourist services, hiking in Badain Jaran Desert is an amazing experience. China Adventure organizes hiking tours to Badain Jaran Desert, you are welcome to contact us for hiking tour arrangement.
There are total around 140 lakes in Badain Jaran Desert. Most of the lakes are located in the southern Part of the desert, which is also where the hiking will cover. The southernmost lake is called Badain Lake. It is a famous lake in Badain Jaran because it is the only non-saline water lake in Badain Jaran. The cluster of lakes in this part is in general called Badain Jaran lakes. The biggest lake is called Nuo’er Tu which is located in the further north of the entrance of Badain Jaran where major big lakes are located. Nuo’er Tu is said to be as deep as 26 meters. Yinde’er Tu is a salt lake and claimed a total of 108 springs in the lake. Some of the lakes show different colors especially by the rim due to mineral formations by different times of a year. Shrubs and even trees grow by the side of the lakes, providing environment for small animals such as lizards.
Badain Jaran Desert
In Badain Jaran there are many stationary sanddunes. Average height of the dunes are around 400 meters. The highest sand dune is at about 1650 meters above sea level and 500 meters raise from base of the desert. This dune is called Bilu Tu Peak and has the fame of being "the Everest of Sand Dunes", ranking the 3rd tallest dunes in the world and the highest in Asia. On the top of the Bilu Tu sand dune one can see far into the desert of Badain Jaran including views of total 7 lakes. It is also interesting to learn the "singing sand dunes", "whistling sands" or "booming dunes" while traveling in Badain Jaran.
Badain Jaran Desert
Badain Jaran Temple is a Buddhist Temple in the Mongolian community. Located by the lakeside in the center area of Desert Badain Jaran, it shares the same name of the desert indicating "lake that has a temple on its side". First built in 1755 in Qing Dynasty and listed as a cultural heritage by local government in the 1980s. It is a unique monastery construction and one good sample of the desert architecture. The reflection of the temple in the lake presents a peaceful picture that attracts many visitors.
Badain Jaran Temple
Badain Jaran Desert is located in western Inner Mongolia of China. It neighbors the silk road of western Gansu Province where there are a lot of places of interests to visit while in Badain Jaran. The famous Zhangye Danxia Mountains is located in Zhangye. It is a geo park of unique Danxia landform with colors. The Mandala Murals are protected cultural relics nearby Badain Jaran. It has murals on the walls and rocks as many as over 4000 recording the life and work of local tribes through the history. The Banyan Forest is a super poplar attraction among photo lovers. The Ejin Banner Banyan Forest by the north of Badain Jaran Desert is one of the best popular forest to visit.
Badain Jaran Desert is located in the far west of Inner Mongolia Province. East to Badain Jaran are Ulan Buh Desert and Tengri Desert. Though in Inner Mongolia, Badain Jaran is mostly accessed via Gansu Province by the cities of Jinchang or Zhangye. There are airports in both Zhangye City and Jichang City. There is also a train from Lanzhou along the ancient silk road all the way to Xinjiang that has stops by Jinchang City, Shandan County and Zhangye City, all are major stopover places to Badain Jaran.
From Jinchang City it is 120km drive that takes around 2 hours to get to Badain Jaran Desert. From Zhangye City it is around 210km that takes around 3 hours to get to the entrance of the desert. This part of China doesn’t have a large population that often a town has small population and normally to get to another town or another place it takes a long time. The roads are very good. The nearest town to Badain Jaran Desert is Alxa Right Banner, it is located 75km west to the desert on G307 highway. Public bus from Jinchang or Zhangye can get you to Alxa Right Banner and from there it is better to hire a car to get to the desert.
The best hiking seasons to Badain Jaran is from June to October each year. Badain Jaran Desert is famous for its drastic change of temperature between day and night. The temperature difference can be as much as 35C degrees within 24 hours’ span. During daytime it can get get up to 35C in summer and below 15C by night. During spring or autumn seasons the temperature is lower by night and during windy and overcast days it is even colder.
While preparing clothing for Badain Jaran hiking, one needs to consider the big change of temperature as well as the windy and sandy conditions to protect yourself while hiking.
Badain Jaran Desert Camping
Traditionally there are two main ways of hiking Badain Jaran Desert. One is the short version that walks in from the entrance to the Badain Jaran Temple and Bilu Tu Sand Dune and get picked up by 4WD vehicle and come out. This way the hiking is total around 3-4 days. The longer version of hiking can either be walking further into the desert to see more lakes and then get picked up by a 4WD vehicle or to walk out doing a loop hiking covering some other major lakes. The longer version of hiking usually takes around 6-7 days total.
There are lodges and yurts available by many of the lakes in Badain Jaran, making the planning fairly easy now. Although a hiking plan is meant to cover the major places of interests such as Badain Lake, Nuo’er Tu Lake, Yinde’er Tu Lake, Lilu Tu Sand Dune, Badain Jaran Temple, and so on. China Adventure organizes hiking tours in Badain Jaran, please send your inquiries.
A day hike into the desert is also a good idea if your plan is to do some light hiking. You can even hire a 4WD vehicle into the desert and then do the hiking in the central part of the longer versions of hiking in a day’s time. Although you will miss the night time in the desert where you have chance to see the milky way in super quiet and clear conditions.
A Night in Badain Jaran Desert
The elevation for the whole hiking is above 1000m and below 2000m. Hiking distance is flexible in general and normally no more than 20km in a day. Ups and downs while walking is inevitable while hiking in Badain Jaran. There are no set or fixed trails in Badain Jaran in general. You are recommended to use guided service from travel company like us.
Walking in sand up and down a sand dune ridge can be slow. Walking in sandy weather conditions can also slow you down. Sand-proofing is important while hiking in Badain Jaran Desert. Sand-proofing is recommended for yourself by protecting your eyes, mouth and nose. Sand-proofing is also recommended for your gears such as cameras, phones and drones. Walking poles with snow basket (sand basket) are recommended to help better support yourself with walking poles. Gaitors are also recommended to prevent sand get into your walking boots. Walking by following former footprints is easier than walking on fresh sand.
Setting up tents in sandy surface requires techniques. Avoid setting your flyer or door on the windy direction. Do use lines and pegs. Get rid of the floppy sand on the surface for around 20cm before you peg down your pegs. When it is windy or when preparing for windy conditions, put the outer rim of your tent flys under sand except the door side to better withstand the wind.
Lodges and yurts are available by many of the lakes in Badain Jaran. Most lakes don’t have shower, electricity nor phone service but food is available. Most lodges and yurts have shared bunks.
Badain Jaran is one of the largest deserts in China. It is truely an amazing desert with splendid desert lakes and big sand dunes. Walking in the desert on the ridges of sand dunes overlooking the lakes and oasis between the dunes is a unique hiking experience: one that brings you the world of tranquility and the good visibility of a sky by night while enjoying a well-paced hiking in the most beautiful desert in China. China Adventure arranges hiking tours to Badain Jaran Desert. We are happy to organize your next adventure holiday with our knowledge and experience of Badain Jaran DEsert hiking.
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