Brief Introduction of Badain Jaran Sub-park
Badain Jaran Sub-park is located in Alxa Youqi and consists of the four scenic areas of Badain Jaran Desert, Mandela cliff Paintings, Eribugai Valley and Haisenchulu wind erosion Landforms.
Badain Jaran Desert Scenic Area is located at the southeast of Badain Jaran Desert, with the area of 340.6 km2. Many high sand hills are distributed in this scenic area, with the average height of 300m. And the world’s highest sand hill — Mountain Birut is among them, with the relative height of 500m, which is rare in the world. Badain Jaran Desert is hailed as “kingdom of singing sand” for the vast area. A lot of lakes are distributed among the sand hills, with the deepest lake of 16m and the largest one of 1.5 km2 (Ma Jinzhu, etc. 2004). The water levels of the lakes are stable all the year around and both salt water and fresh water are among the lakes. And the most amazing thing is that the spring spouted out of the salt water lake is fresh and sweet.
Mandela Cliff Paintings Scenic Area is located on the Mesozoic Mountain Mandela at the east of the Badain Jaran Subpark, with the area of 28.79km2. About 4000 rock carvings engraved on the black bedrocks, which record the economy, society and environments of the nomad from original society to Yuan, Ming, Qing Dynasty, and claim to be a gallery of the ancient culture in northwestern China.
In Haisenchulu Scenic Area, Mesozoic magma invades Silurian-Ordovician sedimentary layers and forms granite, which is outcropped out after denudation. The granite is sculpped into all kinds of shapes due to the weathering and wind action, which make the Haisenchulu Scenic Area innately the representative location for the research of wind actions. The rock records of the global Cretaceous drought climate are well-preserved in the Eribugai Valley. The water eroded the Cretaceous purplish red conglomerate and developed the Eribugai Valley and many gulches.
Badain Jaran Subpark represent the special desert shape and physiognomy formed by geological processes of wind in Chinese Transitional Climate Zone. Meanwhile, the sedimentary rock of the Pleozoic and Mesozoic as well as the granite of Mesozoic which are protruded on the edge of the desert,have recorded the ancient environment and climate before desert was formed in this area. And the Rock painting on the basic rock dikes record immense environmental transition, including the desert expanding, since the human have appeared in this region.
Badain Jaran Subpark is featured with peculiar desert landscapes and typical wind erosion landforms. It’s an ideal ground for ecotourism, scientific exploration and public education.
Brief introduction to Juyan Sub-park
Covering an area of 166.57 km2, Juyan Subpark lies in Ejin Qi and consists of the four scenic areas of Juyan Lake, Heicheng Cultural Relics, Populus Euphratica Forests and Mountain Mazong Fossils. Being inhabited by extensive Gobi, boundless deserts, rippling Juyan Lake, reputed Populus euphratica trees, mysterious Heicheng Relics and the notable Dongfeng Astronautic Town, the Sub-park is a genius combination of physical nature, human history and modern technology.
Brief introduction to Tengger Sub-park
Tengger Subpark is composed of three scenicareas, with the area approximately 347.1km2. The three scenicareas are Alunbulage Valley (103.26 km2), Moon Lake (72.51 km2), and Tong Lake (8.05 km2).
Tengger Desert lies in the basin between Mountain Helan and Mountain Yabulai. The special geological evolution makes it develop various kinds of sand dunes and sand ripples. Tengger Desert, which distributes 422 lake basins in the center and southern part of the desert, is the desert that has the most lakes in China. The lake basins are the residual of the great Tengger lake in Late Pleistocene (about 126 thousand years ago). The edge of the lake basin has preserved better profile, which is the best place for studying the formation and evolution of the desert and taking the experiment of desetification control. The lakes in Tengger Desert are commonly grass lakes with small area, and the water is mainly originated from the residual of great Tengger lake and some is provided by spring water. The Moon Lake is a typical representative of desert lake wetlands, which is the best place for people understanding, connecting and experencing the desert; it provided walking of foot, sliding sand, bird watcing and other geological tourism project for visitors.
The red strata that formed in Cretaceous (145 million years ago), through the action of water and wind erosion, has formed Aolunbulage Valley group, which was the tipical Danxia Landform in northern China. The well developed sedimentary strata, cross bedding and unconformity contact of the strata recorded the ancient weather and river in Cretaceous in detail.
Tong Lake locates in the southern edge of Tengger subpark, which is the typical desert steppe. It displays the unique vegetation, ecosystem and life style of people.
Rare geological heritages, unique religious culture together with graceful local landscapes makes the Tengger Supark a significant geological popular science education locale as well as a favorite tourist resort.
