Aiding Lake sits 154 metres below sea level in the Turpan Depression, the third-lowest point on Earth. Drive there at golden hour for a white salt pan, total silence, and the strangest horizon in Xinjiang.

East of Hami, wind has carved the Wubu Yadan into a red fortress city. A self-drive guide to the Five-Forts Devil City: the loop road, light, and pairing it with Hami melon country.

Keriya River threads an oasis through the Taklamakan to Darya Boyi, the desert’s last village. A self-drive guide to the desert road from Hotan, permits, and what to expect.

South of Kashgar, the Zepu poplar forest turns the desert gold each October. A self-drive guide to Jinhuyang park: the boardwalks, the best week, and the road via Yarkand.

Between Kashgar and Tashkurgan, Baisha Lake spreads white sand against a wall of grey peaks. A photo and drive guide to this Karakoram Highway stop, with timing and altitude notes.

At Shanshan the Taklamakan’s edge pushes right up to the oasis. A self-drive guide to Kumtagh Desert: the sand mountain, camel tracks, sunset light, and the road south from Turpan.

Jiangbulake’s stepped wheat fields roll from Tianshan forest down toward the Gobi. A self-drive guide to Qitai County: the looping mountain road, the wind farm, and where to eat and sleep.