Ejina Desert Poplar Forest

On the edge of the Badain Jaran Desert, a single river, the Heihe, sustains an entire forest of desert poplars. When the first frost of deep autumn arrives, every leaf turns a dazzling gold within a dozen or so days, mirrored in the river channel, set against endless yellow sand and gnarled trees that died a thousand years ago, a beauty that feels almost unreal.