By the time the sun slipped below the dunes, the desert had gone quiet.
Then the stars appeared.
For Li Xue, 28, an independent designer from Hebei province, who spends much of her life amid cities and the flat landscapes of northern China, the night sky over Alshaa League, a vast desert region in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, was perhaps the most unforgettable part of a journey built around speed and adventure.
"We rarely get to see a sky this pure, without light pollution," she said.
Standing in the deep desert, with the horizon stretching unobstructed in every direction, she felt the noise of city life fall away. "I suddenly feel relaxed. It is healing and breathtaking — something you simply cannot experience in a city."
She came to Alshaa League as both a tourist and one of the designers of a new tourism route, which stretches 4,000 kilometers through the region. Along the way, she experienced its deserts and diverse surrounding landscapes.
Li's journey, which ran from Aug 8 to Sunday, took her across vast dunes, past desert lakes and through poplar forests.
Li attended a concert in the wilderness and experienced a desert rally, soaking in the stark contrasts of the landscape along the way.
The appeal lies precisely in those contrasts, she said.
The route cuts through a striking succession of landscapes — the Gobi Desert, salt lakes, poplar forests and canyons — with an added adrenaline kick: fast, off-road driving.
Travelers can self-drive the full route at their own pace or, for a more intense experience, hire a professional driver to navigate terrain reminiscent of a World Rally Championship stage.
One moment she was absorbing a vast, silent landscape; the next, gripping the wheel to power across the dunes.
"It is precisely this interplay of movement and stillness that makes the route so compelling," she said. "You are surrounded by spectacular natural scenery, yet exhilarated by the raw energy of driving through it. It feels nothing like an ordinary sightseeing trip."
On Aug 8, Nayantai, a 46-year-old racing driver from Inner Mongolia with two decades of professional experience, was among the elite drivers invited to pilot an 800-km section of the route during a one-off promotional race.
Engine roaring, his vehicle clawed its way uphill, spraying sand from beneath its tires. At the dune's crest, he paused. In every direction, the desert stretched to the horizon, its immaculate surface broken only by the tracks of other off-road vehicles.
For Nayantai, crossing the finish line was about more than speed. He described the experience of tackling a route that cut through his hometown as more of a homecoming than a competition — a sentiment he hopes more visitors will share as the new routes officially launch, blending motorsports with the local landscape and culture.
The racers screeched off toward Bilutu Peak, which is one of the signature landmarks of the Badain Jaran Desert — China's second-largest drifting desert, renowned for its distinctive high dunes, which served as the centerpiece of the day's racing.
"Every turn feels familiar," Nayantai said. "It is not just about the fastest time; it feels like I am reconnecting with the place where I grew up."
His words capture the idea behind the new professionally driven dune-bashing tours, which invite travelers to immerse themselves in Inner Mongolia's vast landscapes, communities and traditions, all while enjoying a thrilling motorsport experience in the hands of skilled drivers.
The route is part of a broader effort to transform Alshaa League's deserts from a destination for fleeting off-road events into a year-round tourism experience, according to Zhao Chengnan, head of the league's tourism development and operation department.
For decades, the region has drawn off-road enthusiasts with its steep dunes and difficult terrain, regularly hosting professional and amateur rallying events.
But the new approach targets a wider group of travelers, including families, recreational drivers and visitors who may have little interest in competitive racing, while also catering to hardcore competitors.
"The difference lies in the journey itself," Zhao said. "Instead of arriving solely to compete or watch a single race, travelers can now follow an extended route through the region, stopping at desert lakes, scenic areas and cultural sites along the way."
