The Resonant Sand Gorge (Xiangsha wan), located 50km south of the city proper, is more a place of natural beauty than of historical importance. The locals have long considered the area a barren pointlessness, ungrazable and desolate. The Gorge is a part of the vast Gobi desert that starts just to the south of Baotou and that spreads over Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang provinces.

The sand gorge is a, not easily accessible, area of numerous sand dunes that rise up to levels of over 90 meters. It receives its name from the echoing Shhhh that the sand makes as you step on its surface. Visitors here can try camel rides, can parasail, can slide the dunes or simply build sand castles.

How to get there: The easiest way to visit the Dunes will be on a tour with CITS (Tel: 0472-5154615, in the Baotou Hotel). Independently it is not so easy, although cheaper. Take a bus heading towards Yimeng from in front of the railway station. Alight at Wayao Village, that is about 5km from the Gorge, and you may either walk, hitch or hire a taxi on. It is also possible to take a bus to the town of Daqi, and from here a taxi will be about RMB50 return. A taxi from Baotou to the gorge and back should cost less than RMB200.
Opening hours: 9am-5pm.
Cost: RMB10 for entry, RMB10 for camel riding and RMB20 for parasailing.