China Doesn't Lack Water: The Desert, Once Called 'Outer Jiangnan,' Now a Beijing Dust Source
At the southern end of the vast grasslands of Inner Mongolia's Xilingol League, 180 kilometers south of Beijing, there is a sandy area, which is the closest sand source to Beijing. This is the Hunshandak Sand Dune. The Hunshandak Sand Dune has an average altitude of over 1100 meters, extending approximately 450 kilometers east to west, and covers an area of 52,000 square kilometers. It is one of the four major sandlands in Northeast Inner Mongolia and one of the ten deserts in China. Tourists usually come to Xilingol to see it.
In winter, the Xilingol grassland is vast and cold, with vegetation turning yellow under the setting sun and the sand turning golden. Only horses, cattle, and sheep are scattered across the grassland, making it even more vibrant.
Generally, the sand in this area is considered a 'barren land', but the Hunshan River Sand Dune occasionally has tall trees. This solitary tree, with two prominent nests, caught the eyes of tourists. I don't know what kind of bird built its nest in these leafless branches.
Why sometimes do tall trees occasionally appear in the Hunshandak River Sand Dune? It turns out that this is a famous water desert. Generally, there are waterfields in grasslands or deserts. People call them 'water bubbles'. These water bubbles are not large, some are just like swimming pools, with large areas, like a small lake.
Surprisingly, there are large and small water bubbles on the Hunshandak River Sand Dune. When there is a large amount of rainfall in summer, this water will flow out of the sand and gather into the river, but it is not visible in winter. Locals say that when summer comes, the grass and trees in the desert grow better. I don't know how many years it took for these trees, surrounded by yellow sand, to grow into towering trees.
On the west side of the G207 National Highway, there is an observation point on the Hunshandak River Sand Dune. At sunset, the desert turns from yellow to red. From a distance, a pair of dual-faced stone sculptures stand quietly on the grassland and desert. This sculpture is called 'Hunshandak Sand Dune Dual-Face Man Sculpture', carved from granite from the grassland.
It is a set of back-to-back facial sculptures composed of heads of Mongolian men and women. When you walk on one side of them, take a look at the female figures. This is the face of a Mongolian woman, with a smile, giving a feeling of peace and love. The male figures are a typical Mongolian wrestling face, with a slightly fat face and a prominent jawline, gazing into the distance with deep eyes, giving a sense of majesty. This sculpture contains a picture of harmony between the grassland and heaven, earth, and humanity.
Early on, the Hunshandak River Sand Dune was not short of water, so when spring came here, the grass and trees were lush. Some people call it 'south of the Great Wall' or 'garden desert'. However, in recent years, due to drought and human reclamation, the Hunshandak River Sand Dune faces river and lake shrinkage, desertification and grassland degradation, and has become one of the main sources of dust storms from Beijing.
Statement: The author of this article is for Sohu. Except for the official statements of Sohu, this opinion only represents the author, not Sohu.
