The Tarim is the river that runs along the northern edge of the Taklamakan, curving through the oases from the mountains of the west towards Lop Nur in the east. Along its banks, in the belt where the water table is shallow enough, grows a forest of desert poplar - a tree that tolerates salt, drought and wind, and which forms the boundary between the desert and the irrigated land. It is the largest and most complete such forest in China, and part of it is protected as a park in the Luntai and Yuli area of the middle Tarim.
The trees
Desert poplar is extraordinary for its tolerance. It has small, leathery leaves that reduce water loss, bark that splits into deep fissures, and roots that reach down to the water table; it can also shed branches in drought and grow them back. Where the trunks have been split and twisted by wind and water the shapes are dramatic, and older trees hollow out into silvered shells. The forest along the Tarim is a narrow ribbon, sometimes only a few hundred metres wide, and beyond it is pure sand, so the trees read as a green and gold border drawn across the desert.
Autumn
The reason most visitors come is the colour. For roughly two weeks in October the poplars turn from green to a saturated gold, and the trees stand over water channels reflecting them. The park area has a network of roads and boardwalks through the forest, with viewpoints and a small lake, and there are stretches of the river where you can take a boat. It is a well-known domestic destination and the autumn peak is busy, particularly at weekends; outside those two weeks the same forest is green or bare and almost empty.
Practical notes
The poplar park is in the middle Tarim near Luntai, which itself is a few hours from Urumqi by road and rail, and the site is large, so a car and driver for the day is the practical arrangement. There is an admission charge, and facilities are basic: bring water, sun protection and food. Mosquitoes are present near the water in early autumn. If you are driving the desert highway across the basin, the northern section passes through exactly this landscape and needs no detour, though the protected park has the best access and the densest stands.
