Shapotou Tourism Area

220 km south of Yinchuan (3.5 hours ride), Shapotou Tourism Area lies on the southeastern rim of the Tengger Desert with breathtaking scenery of desert dunes, the Yellow River and lush farmlands. It is based around the Shapotou Desert Research Center, which was founded in 1956 to battle against the ever-expanding problem of desertification in the area and sand dune stabilization to protect the Baotour-Lanzhou railway. In 1980s, here was developed into a famous tourist attraction due to its unique desert scenery. 

Shapotou Tourism Area is regarded as one of the five most beautiful deserts in China, and is widely recognized as the Capital of Sand. Standing on the sand hill, one can see the desert extending to the north, and to the south, a boundless oasis. Both the grandeur of the north of China and the elegance of the south come together in this lovely place. Nowadays Shapotou has become a desert amusement park, where tourists are recommended to try 3 most popular activities: Yellow River Drift, Sand Slide, and Yellow River Cableway Slide.

The Yellow River Drift

Floating along the Yellow River on a sheepskin raft - the most unpretentious of vehicles - is something of a special thrill. When a sheep is killed the locals will remove the skin and skillfully make a balloon out of it. A number of these balloons are strung together to form a buoyant base for a floor of bamboos. This sheepskin raft may look flimsy, but it is eminently safe. The drift requires great courage, but this does not mean that it is unsafe. Experienced boatmen will make sure that you cannot only sense the excitement but also enjoy the fascinating scenery along the way. The ruins of a part of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) are there, as is the site of ancient waterwheels-an image of the Yellow River culture.

Sand Slide

Shapotou International Sand Slide Center is the biggest natural sand slide field in China. It is also one of China's Four Sounding Sand Fields. It has a length of about 1000 meters (about 1094 yards), a height of over 100 meters (about 109 yards) and a slope of 60 degrees. When the weather is fine, people sliding down the sand hill can hear the sound of sand underneath them, for all the world like tolling bells. It is adventurous, breathtaking, strange and heady experience-not designed for the weak of heart.

Yellow River Cableway Slide

The cableway slide across the Yellow River at Shapotou has won fame as the First Yellow River Cableway Slide. The cableway here is 820 meters (about 897 yards) long, 54 meters (about 59 yards) high above the water and the slide is at an average speed of 8 m/s (about 26 feet per second). The cableway at Shapotou is unique in China, in that it depends totally on gravity to set it in motion.

Besides, tourists can enjoy the beauty and mystery of the desert from the vantage point of a camel's back. Sunset on the Yellow River and sunrise in the desert are particularly memorable. One can spend an evening in a Mongolian camp or sit by a bonfire enjoying an ethnic-style performance or even take part in a dance. If one prefers a more gentle experience, one can take a yacht along the Yellow River and visit the show of local sand-controlling achievements.

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