National Parks of ChinaOverview
| Designation | UNESCO World Heritage (natural, 2024) |
| Name | 巴丹吉林沙漠——沙山湖泊群 |
| Country | China |
| Nearby cities | Lanzhou, Xining, Yinchuan |
| Nearby sites | Western Xia Imperial Tombs, Qinghai Lake, Xumishan Grottoes |
| Latitude, longitude | 39.89, 102.29 Google Maps |
About
Badain Jaran Desert - Towers of Sand and Lakes (巴丹吉林沙漠——沙山湖泊群) was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2024 as a natural site.
Why it was inscribed
The World Heritage Committee found that it meets criteria (vii), (viii) of the ten selection criteria:
(vii) superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.
(viii) an outstanding example of major stages of Earth’s history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features.
Description (UNESCO World Heritage Centre)
Located in the Alashan Plateau in the hyper-arid and temperate desert region of northwestern China, the Badain Jaran Desert is a meeting point for three sandy regions of China and is the country’s third largest desert and second largest drifting desert. The property stands out with its high density of mega-dunes, intersected with inter-dunal lakes. It displays spectacular ongoing geological and geomorphic features of desert landscapes and landforms which may well be unparalleled. Noteworthy features, among others, include the world’s tallest, stabilized sand mega-dune (relative relief of 460 m