Ejin (Ejina)

Golden desert poplar forests, a spectacle that lasts only about two weeks each October. Plus the Black City ruins and the Ghost Forest, a top choice for autumn photography road trips in northwest China.

Ejin Banner belongs to Alxa League in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It lies at the far western tip of Inner Mongolia, in a desert oasis along the lower reaches of the Heihe River (the Ruoshui, or Ejin River), bordering Mongolia to the north and Jiuquan, Gansu to the west. It covers about 110,000 sq km but has a population of just over 30,000. The banner seat, Dalai Hobu Town, is the base for all visitors. Ejin has China's largest and best-preserved natural forest of desert poplars (Populus euphratica; about 450,000 mu), growing in a belt along both banks of the Ejin River. In the first half of October, after the autumn frosts, the poplars turn gold all at once and are reflected in the river, creating intense color against blue sky and desert. The whole golden period lasts only about two to three weeks, after which the leaves fall and the area enters a ten-month low season. The core sights are all clustered around Dalai Hobu Town: the Poplar Forest scenic area east of town (Bridge No. 1 to Bridge No. 8, with Bridge No. 8 at the edge of the Badain Jaran Desert); the Ghost Forest about 20 km southwest of town and, farther south, the Black City ruins (Khara-Khoto, a Western Xia and Yuan dynasty city, ranked alongside Datong City and Red City); East Juyan Lake about 50 km northeast of town (reed wetlands for sunrise); and the Ceke border crossing in the north. The best time is very clear: around October 1–20, depending on that year's temperatures, with the peak gold usually October 8–15. Crowds during the National Day holiday are huge, and lodging prices rise several-fold. The rest of the year the desert is windy and the scenery is monotonous, and summer is scorching. Getting there: Ejin Taolai Airport has peak-season flights (from Xi'an, Hohhot, Lanzhou and others), and in peak season there are tourist trains to Ejin Station from Beijing, Hohhot and Yinchuan. More visitors drive in from Jiuquan/Jiayuguan (about 5 hours), Zhangye (about 6 hours), Yinchuan or Alxa Left Banner, and there are also chartered tour groups from Lanzhou and Jiayuguan. Suggested time: 2 days, enough for one sunrise and one sunset in the poplar forest, plus the Black City, the Ghost Forest and Juyan Lake. Tips: in peak season, book lodging one to two months ahead; when hotels in Dalai Hobu are full, try nearby herder homestays or tents. The desert has a big day–night temperature range, and October mornings are often around 0°C. Inside the Poplar Forest scenic area you combine shuttle buses with hiking, which makes for a tiring day. Protect your camera from wind and sand, and follow park rules by staying out of forest areas that are not open.

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