Sand Lake Scenic Resort (Sha Hu)

Pictures

If you love both the desert and the world of water, Sand Lake Scenic Resort in northwest China is an ideal choice. Located in Pingluo County of the Ningxia Autonomous Region, 56 kilometers (about 35 miles) north of Yinchuan, the capital city of Ningxia, it is more than 80 square kilometers (about 31 square miles) in area, including 45 square kilometers (about 17 square miles) of lakes and over 22 square kilometers (about 8 square miles) of desert. This unique, natural scenery attracts millions of visitors from China and abroad.

Sand Lake Scenic Resort is one of the best places for bird watching in all of China, as it is home to 198 species and over one million birds. Every year during spring and autumn, over one million migratory birds stop here. The Bird-watching Tower, equipped with best telescope available, holds hundreds of people. This is a paradise for the birdwatcher as well as a great variety of birds, including white cranes, black cranes, red-crowned cranes, swans, wild ducks and mandarin ducks.

Sand Lake Scenic Resort also has several species of fishes. Not just the common carp, silver carp, grass carp and crucian carp but also the blunt-snout bream, which is rarely found in North China. You can find giant salamanders here as well. Because of the abundance of fish, the reeds and the lotuses seem to be endless in the lake.

Wind surfing

Cable cars to Sand Lake

While riding the motorboats, the breeze in your face and the scenery rushing by will give you an exhilarating feeling. The blue sky, green lake water, yellow sand dunes, green reeds, lotus and beautiful birds create a pure and peaceful picture of nature.

Besides natural beauty, Sand Lake Scenic Resort also offers you more than thirty recreational opportunities. Some are only for the adventurous but less strenuous activities are also available, such as water-motorcycling, wind surfing, and sliding down the dunes.

Sand Lake in desert

Dragon Boat Race on the Lake

1. Take regular bus from Beimen Tourist Bus Station Dawukou, Huinong, Hongguozi, Rujigou, Longhu, Pingluo and Yaofu, and get off at Shahu (Sand Lake).
2. From Apr. 20 to Oct. 21, there are regular buses from Beimen Tourist Bus Station to Sand Lake Scenic Resort. The bus departs every 30 minutes from 8:00 to 10:30 and the returning bus from 13:00 to 18:00. It takes 1h and costs CNY 15 for a single trip.
 1. Take a bus from Dawukou Bus Station to Yinchuan or Yaofu. It passes by Shahu.
2. Take a taxi and it costs around CNY 30.
 Take regular tourist bus from Ximen Bus Station. It departs every 1 hour. The bus ticket is around CNY 4.5.
 

Entrance Fee	Apr. - Oct.: CNY 50 Nov. - Mar.: CNY 40; Children between 1.2 and 1.5m (3.9 - 4.9 feet) can enjoy half-price ticket; Free for children under 1.2m. * The admission fees include the items of the Wetland Museum, the Sand Figure Garden, Chairman Mao's Badges Exhibition Hall, the Peacock Garden, Ningxia Agricultural Reclamation Museum and the electric power cart.
Opening Hours	8:00 - 18:00

Boat		CNY 70
Rowing Boat for the Bird Island		CNY 60
Rowing Boat for the Bird Island +Riding a camel		CNY 120
Sliding Sand/ Sliding Grass + Cable Car		CNY 50
Sliding Sand + Sliding Grass + Cable Car		CNY 80
Waterplane		CNY 200
Flying Fish		CNY 100
Parasailing		CNY 150
Riding a camel		CNY 60
Motorboat	for the Sand Island	CNY 100
	Sand Lake Circle Tour	CNY 150