If you love both the desert and the world of water, Sand Lake (shā hú 沙湖) in northwest China is an ideal choice. Located in Pingluo (píng luó 平羅) County of the Ningxia Autonomous Region (níng xià huí zú zì zhì qū 寧夏回族自治區), 56 kilometers (about 35 miles) north of Yinchuan ((yín chuān 銀川)), the capital city of Ningxia (níng xià 寧夏), Sand Lake is more than 80 square kilometers (about 31 square miles) in area, including 45 square kilometers (about 17 square miles) of lakes and over 22 square kilometers (about 8 square miles) of desert. This unique, natural scenery attracts millions of visitors from China and abroad. Map

Sand Lake is one of the best places for bird watching in all of China, as it is home to 198 species and over one million birds. Every year during spring and autumn, over one million migratory birds stop at Sand Lake. The Bird-watching Tower, equipped with best telescope available, holds hundreds of people. Sand Lake is a paradise for the birdwatcher as well as a great variety of birds, including white cranes, black cranes, red-crowned cranes, swans, wild ducks and mandarin ducks.

Sand Lake also has several species of fishes. Not just the common carp, silver carp, grass carp and crucial carp but also the blunt-snout bream, which is rarely found in North China. You can find giant salamanders here as well. The reeds and the lotuses seem to be endless at Sand Lake. While riding the motorboats, the breeze in your face and the scenery rushing by will give you an exhilarating feeling. The blue sky, green lake water, yellow sand dunes, green reeds, lotus and beautiful birds create a pure and peaceful picture of nature.

Besides natural beauty, Sand Lake also offers you more than thirty recreational opportunities. Some are only for the adventurous but less strenuous activities are also available, such as water-motorcycling, wind surfing, and sliding down the dunes.