Story

Desert Playground

June 28, 2009 | Pulitzer Center
By
Sean Gallagher, for the Pulitzer Center, China
1

Tourists mill around the base of one of Shapotou's largest dunes which serves as a place of relaxation for the many visitors.

1

A view of the fringes of the Tengger desert which plunges into the Yellow River, making for one of the most dramatic natural setting in all of China.

1

Activities such as beach volleyball, sand-sliding, zip-wiring and rock climbing are all available to keep desert-loving visitors entertained.

1

Riding camels is one of the most popular attractions for tourists.

1

Trees standing near to the Yellow River are amply supplied with water, however the creeping dunes of the Tengger desert are slowly swallowing them.

1

A lone tourist stands in the desert.

1

The creation of the Shapotou desert resort has created jobs for some 300 people who work in the park, undertaking tasks such as hospitality, maintenance and tour guiding.

1

A worker takes a rest in the Shapotou park. The dramatic convergence of forest and dunes is breathtaking however as desertification continues, and the sand continue to creep, more and more forest is slowly being consumed.

1

Sand-sledging is one of the many activities that are available to tourists at the park.

1

Further into the Tengger desert, life is almost non-existent.

1

Quad-biking is one of the less eco-friendly ways in which tourists are kept entertained during their visit to the Tengger Desert.

1

43,000 square kilometers of desert stretch before a lone tourist as they wander into the sea of dunes, of which the desert resort of Shapotou is but a fraction of.

The Shapotou desert resort is the jewel in the tourism crown for Ningxia, China's poorest province. Lying on the edges of the Tengger desert, it is one of the most dramatic natural settings in all of China, situated at the convergence of the desert, the Yellow River and the "Fragrant Mountain" Range". Thousands of domestic tourists descend upon Shapotou each year to enjoy the natural scenery and partake in various activities on and around the 100-metre high dunes. Domestic tourism is now one of the fastest growing industries in China, with annual revenue from the industry averaging at US$60million, approximately 5% of the country's GDP. The park provides a welcome boost to the local economy and provides a brief respite and distraction for visitors from the effects of desertification, which are still however, subtly apparent all around them.