I was lucky enough to spend most of my time yesterday in a tourist mode at Shapotou--an area where the Tengger Desert meets the Yellow River. It is a side of China I have not seen before, so I will take this opportunity for a light post about my experiences there.
The first thing I did was take a non-thrilling motorboat ride from the main entrance. I then faced a decision about how to ascend a steep hill of sand. For an additional fee one could take an escalator:
Despite the friendly staff waiting to greet people, it seemed like a boring choice. So, I decided to attempt the climb by foot. After discovering that my brilliant idea to wear sandals was not so brilliant as the sand was rather hot, I settled on another method for ascending the hill:
At the top, one could take in a view of the Yellow River:
From there, I exited the southern portion of the park, walked under a railroad, and then entered the northern section of the park where a variety of activities were available, some for free:
Some not free:
Although activities such as dune buggy or camel riding did not surprise me, others seemed more questionable and had few if any people interested. For example, there was a small flat area where one could ride a Segway:
But maybe more peculiar was the idea that people would travel to a desert full of sand dunes for a fake grass slide:
At least like the escalator, there were friendly people around:
I passed on all of these activities as my primary desire was explore the sand dunes on foot. I left the main park area and headed north deeper into the desert. After a while I felt that I had achieved my goal--immersed amongst sand dunes and no signs of humankind:
But elsewhere I once again saw signs of civilization. Whether it was road signs:
Or one of the large vehicles taking people out for rides:
Eventually, the time came for me to leave the sand dunes. My footprints in some areas had already been erased by the wind, but some mountains provided a simple reference point. Given my previous research interests in human (and insect) navigation, I tried to return by the same winding path. It proved to be an enjoyable challenge.
After I made it out of the dunes I walked back to the Yellow River:
But before the river, the sand hill awaited. The choice for how to descend was easy, and I went down on a sand sled:
>
Admittedly, I was skeptical since everyone I watched went down at a rather slow place. But by making as little use of the brakes as possible I quickly discovered that the sled could indeed reach a "fun" speed. However, difficulty controlling the sled at higher speeds combined with sand flying into my eyes led to a glorious crash. Fortunately, the sand proved to be an excellent cushion and I escaped entirely unharmed (but rather sandy). I definitely got my money's worth there.
After reaching the bottom of the hill, it was a quick walk to the Yellow River. Instead of a motorboat, this time I took a raft:
As we went downstream I pondered the suspicious-looking floats for the raft. I asked if they were inflated pig skins and was told they were not. They were of course inflated sheep skins.
Shapotou certainly provided a unique experience for me. If I ever find myself in this region again I would like to take one of the overnight tours available to deeper regions of the Tengger desert, especially if there are opportunities for independent wanderings. But it was definitely a good day on the sand dunes.
The first thing I did was take a non-thrilling motorboat ride from the main entrance. I then faced a decision about how to ascend a steep hill of sand. For an additional fee one could take an escalator:
 |
| Plenty of staff at the escalator |
Despite the friendly staff waiting to greet people, it seemed like a boring choice. So, I decided to attempt the climb by foot. After discovering that my brilliant idea to wear sandals was not so brilliant as the sand was rather hot, I settled on another method for ascending the hill:
At the top, one could take in a view of the Yellow River:
From there, I exited the southern portion of the park, walked under a railroad, and then entered the northern section of the park where a variety of activities were available, some for free:
Some not free:
Although activities such as dune buggy or camel riding did not surprise me, others seemed more questionable and had few if any people interested. For example, there was a small flat area where one could ride a Segway:
But maybe more peculiar was the idea that people would travel to a desert full of sand dunes for a fake grass slide:
At least like the escalator, there were friendly people around:
I passed on all of these activities as my primary desire was explore the sand dunes on foot. I left the main park area and headed north deeper into the desert. After a while I felt that I had achieved my goal--immersed amongst sand dunes and no signs of humankind:
But elsewhere I once again saw signs of civilization. Whether it was road signs:
Or one of the large vehicles taking people out for rides:
Eventually, the time came for me to leave the sand dunes. My footprints in some areas had already been erased by the wind, but some mountains provided a simple reference point. Given my previous research interests in human (and insect) navigation, I tried to return by the same winding path. It proved to be an enjoyable challenge.
 > |
| An easier section to follow--footprints of me heading out and later returning. |
After I made it out of the dunes I walked back to the Yellow River:
But before the river, the sand hill awaited. The choice for how to descend was easy, and I went down on a sand sled:
>Admittedly, I was skeptical since everyone I watched went down at a rather slow place. But by making as little use of the brakes as possible I quickly discovered that the sled could indeed reach a "fun" speed. However, difficulty controlling the sled at higher speeds combined with sand flying into my eyes led to a glorious crash. Fortunately, the sand proved to be an excellent cushion and I escaped entirely unharmed (but rather sandy). I definitely got my money's worth there.
After reaching the bottom of the hill, it was a quick walk to the Yellow River. Instead of a motorboat, this time I took a raft:
As we went downstream I pondered the suspicious-looking floats for the raft. I asked if they were inflated pig skins and was told they were not. They were of course inflated sheep skins.
 |
| Sheep are much easier to carry when they are just inflated skins. |
Shapotou certainly provided a unique experience for me. If I ever find myself in this region again I would like to take one of the overnight tours available to deeper regions of the Tengger desert, especially if there are opportunities for independent wanderings. But it was definitely a good day on the sand dunes.
Interesting post.
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