Ningxia: Sand Lake

More than 1 million migrating birds of various species stop over at

this wetland in Ningxia twice a year (April-May, September-
October).
The rest of the year, around 200 species of birds call the wetlands
home, including a large number of protected species, such as black
cranes and the Chinese merganser.
The area is also the reported habitat of giant salamanders that grow
as long as 1.6 meters.
Desert, water and reed mashes blend in this 80-square-kilometer
area, which forms a unique geographic phenomenon called sand
lake ("sha hu" in Mandarin).
Sand Lake is 56 kilometers north of Yinchuan, the provincial capital
of Ningxia. Buses are available daily between Sand Lake and
Yinchuan's North Gate Bus Terminal.