Yueyaquan Oasis In China, A Gift From Nature

The city of Duhuang, located in the northwest of China, has a very extreme climate, dry and with very little rainfall. However, it is one of the most important tourist areas in this country. Lots of travelers pass through it every day wanting to know the wonderful places it has to offer. One of the most striking and spectacular is the Yueyaquan oasis, a place where it seems that time has stopped and that, for a few moments, transports us to another era .

Yueyaquan oasis , an idyllic illusion

The oasis is in the Gobi desert, the largest in the world, stretching from northern China to southern Mongolia and, according to experts, the most extreme on the planet.

Among white sand dunes almost one hundred meters high, the visitor will find themselves in front of Lake Crescent, a name that is also often referred to as this gift of nature and the pride of the Gansu province.

On our way from Dunhuang, an enchanting crescent-shaped pond will appear before our eyes, almost magically, the waters of which have remained there for 2000 years.

Unfortunately, the level of the flow has dropped alarmingly in recent years. For this reason, the Chinese government is very involved trying to control its possible dehydration. There are two possible causes for this drop in level: the dangerous scourge of sandstorms and the unstoppable desertification.

The orchard, charming natural decoration

We all have in mind those adventure film scenes in which the protagonist, on the verge of fainting, contemplates a mirage in which he can see a space full of water and vegetation. Yueyaquan responds perfectly to this image, in fact, it is probably more beautiful than anyone could imagine, since it even has a wonderful pagoda as a decoration.

It is an exquisite and exuberant enclave full of beauty through which caravans of merchants of fabrics, gold, silver, precious stones, clothing, ceramics and even slaves have passed. In fact, it was part of the Silk Road itinerary.

Travelers from all the cardinal points have made a stop here, from preachers to scientists, through writers and even thieves. Among all these men of different cultures, religions, races and customs, the most prominent of these personalities was, without a doubt, that of Genghis Khan.

Rest space for body and soul

Faced with such a magnificent claim, the modern explorer will feel as small as one of the billions of grains of sand that make up the gigantic sandbank that surrounds the lake. A lake barely 200 meters long and 50 meters wide that, however, is difficult to forget.

Those who are in good physical shape can take the opportunity to climb to the highest part of the nearby dunes to enjoy the great views that are obtained from the top.

Of course, it is recommended only for the most intrepid and determined, since our feet will sink into them at every step, which makes the ascent a very expensive journey.

If we approach the pagoda, we will realize that it resembles those buildings that appear in ancient Chinese legends, starring young and attractive princesses with porcelain complexions and slanted eyes who end up transforming into mythological dragons.

If after all this our curiosity has not yet been satisfied, in the vicinity of the spring there is a camel rental service thanks to which we will have the opportunity to take a walk around the surroundings and get an idea of ​​the difficulties that life in the desert and the gift that this natural creation signifies.