Populus Euphratica Island

8:00 – 18:00

20 RMB per person

Location: Within Wuhai City

All year round

To be confirmed

In 1997, Wuhai was served by one major railway trunk line, the Baotou–Lanzhou Railway. There were a total of 18 arterial highways, including National Highway 110 from Dengkou to Mahuanggou and National Highway 109 from Qipanjing to Shizuishan. The passenger transport volume hit 1.9418 million people, while freight volume reached 11.1647 million tons. Specifically, the railway handled 311,800 passengers and 2.4147 million tons of cargo; highways carried 1.63 million passengers and 8.75 million tons of goods.

The island lies within Wuhai City. The Yellow River runs through this geographically complex stretch, featuring a landscape entirely distinct from other river sections. Upstream, the Helan Mountains and Zhuozi Mountains stand facing each other, creating rapid river currents. Three islands line up in the middle of the river, and the largest one is densely covered with populus euphratica trees, hence the name Populus Euphratica Island.

Also known as diversiform-leaved poplar or Chinese parasol tree, populus euphratica ranks among the world’s rare tree species and is listed as a Class II national protected wild plant in China.

Leaves growing on the upper, middle and lower sections of a single populus euphratica tree take completely different shapes, presenting an innate delicate charm. A well-known legend vividly depicts its extraordinary vitality: "It lives for a thousand years without dying; it stands for another thousand years after death without falling; it remains intact for a final thousand years after toppling over." As a rare precious tree species unique to China, it is hailed as a "living plant fossil" with great value for scientific research, preservation and sightseeing. A variety of ancient-style, modern and ethnic-featured tourist facilities have been initially built on the island, making it an ideal destination for sightseeing, rest, dining, accommodation, vacations and entertainment.

The river surface in the middle reach is smooth as silk, with two small sandbars in the center: Dazhongtan and Lihuatan. Two Yellow River bridges arch across the water like rainbows connecting east and west, forming a magnificent view where rivers wind around Wuhai and double bridges link three mountain ridges.

Downstream, the Yellow River flows toward the Hetao Plain, flanked by the Ulan Buh Desert on both banks. A desert scenic resort sits on the west bank accessible by cruise ships, where visitors can enjoy sand sliding, swimming and camel riding.