Tianmo Desert in Huailai County, Zhangjiakou

Tianmo Desert in Huailai County, Zhangjiakou

Tianmo Desert has a combination of mountain scenery, a reservoir and sand dunes that present visitors with a rugged refresher from Beijing city life.

English Name: Tianmo Desert in Beijing
Chinese Name: 天漠
Attraction Type:  Beijing Attraction, Desert
Best Time to Visit: Whole year
Recommended Visiting Time: about half a day 
Admission Fee: CNY 15-30
Address in English: Longbao Mountain area in Huailai County, Beijing
Address in Chinese:北京市怀来县龙宝山

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Why is the Tianmo Desert in Beijing so Special?

Tianmo Desert has a combination of mountain scenery, a reservoir and sand dunes that present visitors with a rugged refresher from Beijing city life. This strange small 200-acre desert is close to Beijing and has two sand dunes that cover about 85 acres. Because of its unique charm of natural scenery, it has become one of the best locations for domestic and foreign film and television plays to choose Western scenery. More than 300 films and TV series have been shot here.

Where is the Tianmo Desert in Beijing?

The Tianmo Desert is located in the Longbao Mountain area in Huailai County, 90 kilometers away from Beijing. 

How to Get There

  • Take a long-distance bus to Shacheng at the Zhangjiakou Bus Station, transfer to bus line 880, and get off at the site. Long-distance buses are available from 6:10 to 16:50 at the price of CNY 29 or CNY 31.
  • Take a train to Shacheng at Zhangjiakou South Railway Station. Upon arrival, walk north to Huailaixian Dishuiju Station, and take bus line 880 to the site. The train leaves Zhangjiakou for Shacheng at 15:05, 15:49, 16:17, 16:36, 17:17, 19:09, and 22:54.  The hard seat price is CNY 12.5, and the hard sleeper price is CNY 58.5. Duration is about 60 to 80 minutes.

Feature

A typical feature of the desert is its “clear boundary”. Around the desert, there is a clear and recognizable contour line. Even if it is a short distance away from the contour line, it is ordinary farmland immediately. Moreover, in the east of the desert, some sand has been transported away, and there is a clear boundary between the exposed ground and the accumulated sand. The ground is composed of purple-black coarse gravel, which is quite different from the accumulated sand in the desert. It shows that the sand in the desert is not accumulated from the ground.

Activities

Tourists can have a good time in the desert. They can go to the sand table, take a sand bath, make sand sculptures, ride camels, or swim in the swimming pool. They can also ride a 4×4 dune coach to experience the turbulence and adventure of this vast desert. In addition, they can make bonfires, set off fireworks and enjoy delicious local food at night.

Useful Travel Tips

  • Admission Fee: CNY 30; Children less than 3.9 feet (1.2 meters) in height are free of charge.
  • Taking the Two-rider Cross County Car: CNY 30
  • Riding Horses: CNY 120 per hour
  • Swimming or Making Sand Sculptures: CNY 15
  • Sand Boarding: CNY 30 per hour
  • Opening Hours: 8:00- 18:00

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