A terminal oasis where the Heihe River dies into the Badain Jaran Desert — the Han dynasty's extreme northern outpost, where military wooden slips were unearthed, a forward server of the Qin-Han empire in the Gobi.

Juyan Lake Inner Mongolia

Glistening waters of the Juyan Lake oasis in the Gobi desert, surrounded by golden reeds and distant ruins of ancient Han watchtowers