Xiangshawan

Xiangshawan means singing sand bay, from a phenomenon that occurs on some dunes here: when dry sand slides down a steep face, the grains produce a low humming or booming sound, audible from a distance, which happens at only a handful of dune fields worldwide. The site sits on the northern edge of the Kubuqi Desert facing the Yellow River valley, and it has been developed heavily: a cable car crosses the sand to the resort, and sandboarding, dune buggies, camel trains, a desert zipline and a Mongolian performance theatre operate on site, along with hotels among the dunes. The desert itself has been the subject of a large-scale afforestation programme.

What you actually see

• The singing dunes - sand that hums when it slides on the steep faces.
• The cable car - the crossing over sand to the resort area.
• The desert activities - sandboarding, buggies, camels and ziplines.
• The Kubuqi Desert - dune country on the edge of the Yellow River valley.

When to go

May to October; summer sand becomes extremely hot underfoot and midday is uncomfortable. Winter is bitterly cold and most activities close. The singing effect needs dry sand and does not work after rain.

Honest expectations

This is a resort rather than a wilderness, with layered charges for every activity. The singing effect is subtle and conditions-dependent. Crowds in summer holidays are heavy, and camel and buggy operations are commercial and busy.

Nearby

Ordos lies south; Baotou is northeast across the Yellow River.