Swimming in Moon Lake.

A motorcade in the desert. by Guo Chuan

Buffet lakeside.

Shangri-la in the desert.

Moon Lake, known as Shangri-la in the desert.

Sand boarding.

Solitary trekking.

Sometimes the Tengger Desert is like a sandy sea with dazzling golden hues and rolling dunes appearing like surging waves frozen in time. Other times, the magnificent place demonstrates an elegant aspect. At dusk, for instance, the setting sun on the horizon flushes the land in carmine. At that moment, the desert is as peaceful as a sleeping ocean, and Moon Lake, in the heart of the boundless desert, is like a glistening emerald.

The locals call the desert “Tengger Dalai.” In the Mongolian language, “Tengger” means “sky” and “Dalai” means “ocean.” An old saying goes: “Mounting the Tengger, you can touch the sky.” In the eyes of the local people, the desert is as boundless as the sky and ocean.

Long ago, the sand was beneath an ocean. Still today, ancient oceanic relics dot the desert. The Moon Lake lies in Alxa League, on the westernmost tip of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The desert and the lake set each other off, composing a dreamlike landscape painting. Viewed from the air, the lake is a blue crescent; hence the name.

The surface area of Moon Lake is three square kilometers, extending two kilometers from south to north and one kilometer from east to west. The water is 2-4 meters in depth, with a circumference of four kilometers. Reeds sway in shallow water, while green grass blankets the shores. Water birds play on the lake, and fishes chase about in the crystal clear water. Flocks of wild ducks, gray cranes, ruddy shelducks and mandarin ducks swim leisurely among dense reeds. Even noble swans inhabit here in pairs. On the lakeshore are shrubby species such as sweetvetch, korshinsk peashrub, calligonum mongolicum and saxaul, as well as such arbors as elm, poplar and Russian olive. The area is also home to hundreds of species of wild animals, including the Mongolian gazelle, hare and badger. The lake and surrounding sand dunes compose a fairytale-like scene.

The Tengger Dalai and Moon Lake Ecological Resort, located in Inner Mongolia’s Alxa Left Banner, is China’s largest and best-equipped desert resort, and one of the best-known destinations for desert adventure in the world. The core area of the resort reaches 150 square kilometers.

The resort is a place integrating the traditional culture of nomadic tribes, desert sightseeing, sandy landscapes, lakes and Tibetan Buddhism. Thus is realized a perfect combination of natural scenery and spiritual enlightenment.

The resort consists of an ethnic customs zone, a club and recreation zone, a hotel and villa zone, an ecological garden and an outdoor adventure zone. Here can be satisfied the demands of business, conference, outdoor adventure and holiday recreation.

It is commonly said that Moon Lake boasts “three wonders.”

First, it extends like a map of China when viewed from atop the dune, and naturally-growing reed belts are the borders of provinces and autonomous regions on the map.

Second, the lake water is a natural composite with medicinal qualities. The water is rich in K salt, Mn salt, natural soda, natural alkali, ferric oxide and other trace elements, and contains a little mirabilite. The content of these ingredients is close to that of the medical bath recipe recommended by some international health care institutions. More surprisingly, the water has the capacity of biological purification, and can thus quickly restore its natural purity in case the lake is polluted.

Third, it has a natural bathing beach extending one kilometer in length and nearly 100 meters in width. Under the sandy surface is black mud a dozen meters in depth, which exceeds the renowned Death Sea Black Mud in medicinal properties.

Notably, with the goal of building up a brand as an international resort, the Moon Lake Resort advocates an eco-friendly model. The operation aims to improve the local desert ecosystem and boost sandstorm control by promoting industrialization of desert tourism, thus benefiting local residents and people from around the nation. Such conception also embodies the local government’s strategy of “realizing transformation by constructing eco-friendly league and banners.” Moon Lake Resort sets a good example in this aspect. It not only frees some local herdsmen from their traditional lifestyle of animal husbandry, threatened due to desertification, but also helps to restore the damaged ecosystem. Since it began to receive tourists in September 2002, the resort has followed the principle of “blending modern civilization with ecological protection” and taking measures to promote “ecological education,” so as to realize harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Today, it is regarded as China’s best desert resort, combining ecological travel and environmental education. It is also an ideal destination for tourists from modern metropolises, who come to commune with nature and achieve physical and spiritual rejuvenation.