Xinjiang: Desert Poplars of 33rd Regiment, Oct 2024

By Beatrice Wong
December 23, 2024
7:30 pm
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Populus euphratica is an ancient tree species of the Tertiary period that grows in the world’s arid desert riverbanks hence lending the name “king of the desert.” Populus euphratica is called “Toklak” in Uyghur which translates to “the most beautiful tree”. Most of the world’s populus euphratica are concentrated in China with 90% of those in the Tarim River Basin of Xinjiang. This type of tree has an amazing ability to resist drought, wind, sand, and salt, surviving in extremely dry and cold areas. There is an old Chinese saying to praise these ancient trees for being able to “live a thousand years, then stand a thousand years after death, and remain imperishable for another thousand years.” The best time to see these beautiful trees is from October 20 to early November as they change from dark green to golden yellow blending harmoniously with the golden sands of the desert along the crystal blue Tarim River.

The 33rd Regiment is part of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, referred to as “Xinjiang Corps”, which is a provincial and ministerial-level special division under separate planning of the People’s Republic of China. Also known as the “China New Construction Group Corporation”, it is a large state-owned enterprise integrating agriculture, industry, transportation, construction, and commerce, and undertaking economic construction tasks. My amazing photo guide discovered an unknown area of populus euphratica deep inside the Taklimakan Desert near the 33rd Regiment of the Second Division (33团胡楊林). I was told that only several weeks ago teams arrived in search of oil in the area, so chances are this pristine spot will no longer be accessible very soon. The first afternoon we ventured in, our 4×4 got stuck in the sand and we had to walk quite a bit to get out while the driver seeked help from the oil company guys to tow the car out of the soft sand. The second afternoon, we hired a proper 4×4 with higher clearance and entered again to capture the breathtaking scenery. The deeper into the desert, the more beautiful it is. There was no one else there, no roads, no cell signal, only some animal prints in the sand. It was quite an adventure and even though I was knackered trudging up and down the sand dunes, it was completely worth it.