Some believe the northwest of China is not so attractive in winter. However, the Sand Lake in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region shows it indeed has gorgeous scenery with desert landscapes, snow-capped mountains, wetlands and iced-over lakes. A winter tourism festival will begin here and offer plenty of desert and ice activities.

A skiing resort with an area of 8,000 square meters is now under construction. A skating rink on a natural lake there, the largest one in China, will cover 45 square kilometers. Also, exhibitions of Chairman Mao badges and a wetlands museum will be open to the public.

The Sand Lake is a National 5A-level Tourist Attraction. Here, the exquisite scenery of the South and the grand-scale scenery of the Northwest mix together. Restaurants and hotels are well-equipped for guests.

The railway connecting Taiyuan (in Shanxi province), Zhongwei (in Ningxia) and Yinchuan (in Ningxia) will open on Jan 1, 2011. As a result, the journey from Beijing to Yinchuan will take only eight hours.