A shifting sand-dune desert in the Tarim Basin, ringed by some of the highest mountains in the world.
Area
337,000 km²
Continent
Asia
Location
Tarim Basin, western China
Temperature
−20°C to +40°C
Rainfall
Under 100 mm a year
Climate
Cold desert
About the Taklamakan Desert
The Taklamakan fills the Tarim Basin in western China and is one of the largest sand deserts on Earth. Ringed by towering mountains, it is bitterly cold in winter and intensely hot in summer. Silk Road travellers skirted its edges, and its dry sands have preserved remarkably well-kept ancient mummies.
Did you know?
Its name is often translated as “go in and you won’t come out”.
Highlights
- One of the world’s largest sand deserts
- Ringed by giant mountain ranges
- Preserves ancient desert mummies
Photo gallery
Life in the Taklamakan Desert
Animals, birds and plants that have adapted to survive this landscape.
Animals
Bactrian camel
The two-humped camel of Central Asia, built for freezing cold-desert winters.
Jerboa
A tiny hopping rodent with long hind legs, bounding like a mini-kangaroo.
Birds
Houbara bustard
A well-camouflaged desert bird of Arabia and Central Asia.
Trees & plants
Saxaul
A gnarled Central-Asian tree that anchors shifting cold-desert sands.
Day & night in the Taklamakan Desert
Deserts are famous for their extreme temperature swings. Flip between day and night to feel the difference — these are typical figures for a cold desert.
Midday sun
+32°C
typical daytime high
Hot or mild summer days swing to bitterly cold nights, and winters can stay far below freezing — these deserts see some of the biggest temperature ranges on Earth.
Recorded range for the Taklamakan Desert: −20°C to +40°C