Yardangs on the Water,
ridges in a salt lake

How yardangs form in water

A yardang is a ridge of soft rock carved by wind into long, streamlined shapes. What makes this group unusual is where they stand: instead of rising from dry desert, they emerge directly from a salt lake, so the bases of the ridges are in the water and the pale crust runs between them. Nothing else on earth looks quite like it.

• Soft rock sculpted by wind over a long period.
• Long, parallel ridges aligned with the prevailing wind.
• Bases standing in a salt lake, not on dry ground.
• The only place on earth where yardangs meet water.

The Mars comparison, precisely

The Qaidam Basin is the region that local authorities and scientists call China's most Mars-like place, and the claim is measured rather than poetic: bare rock, salt, no vegetation and a dry, thin atmosphere. China's first Mars simulation base, the Lenghu Mars Camp, opened in this basin in March 2019, 60 km west of Lenghu in Mangya. Our nine-day route does not enter Lenghu or Eboliang, so we list the camp strictly as an optional extension, never as something included in the itinerary.

• Called the most Mars-like place in China by local authorities and scientists.
• China's first Mars simulation base opened in this basin in March 2019.
• The camp is an extension only and is not on the nine-day route.

Driving this stage

The stage from Dachaidan to Dunhuang is one of the longest on the route, and the yardangs are its centrepiece. There is no shade, no settlement and very little traffic, so the stop works best as a slow pause on a driving day rather than a long hike. The salt crust around the yardangs is fragile, and the guide will show you the ground you may use and the best angles; you should not walk out onto the crust or climb the ridges.

• A long driving day between Dachaidan and Dunhuang.
• No shade and almost no services on the way.
• Wind and salt are part of the landscape.
• Stay on the marked ground the guide points out.