The Badain Jaran Desert in China is known for the world’s tallest stationary sand dunes, including the Bilutu Peak dune.
It lies mainly in Inner Mongolia and Gansu Province. Many dunes remain unusually stable despite their great size because moisture, wind patterns, and internal sand movement help maintain their forms. Bilutu Peak rises about 460 metres above the surrounding desert surface, making it one of the highest individual sand dunes known.
The desert also contains more than 100 permanent lakes, an unexpected feature in such an arid environment. Their water is supplied largely by groundwater, and some are saline while others are comparatively fresh. The combination of giant dunes and lakes gives Badain Jaran a distinctive landscape.
Badain Jaran is part of the larger deserts of northern China but is not the same as the Gobi. The Gobi is a broad desert region with extensive gravel and rocky surfaces, whereas Badain Jaran is especially famous for massive megadunes.