Deserts are typically associated with searing heat, dryness and inhospitable landscapes.

However, the Badain Jaran Desert in Alshaa League, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, defies these conventions. In this vast wilderness dotted with sparkling sapphire lakes and towering sand dunes, there is an unbreakable bond between people and the natural environment.

Nestled in the arid expanse of the Alashan Plateau in northwestern China, the desert, a World Heritage site, challenges preconceptions of desolate deserts with its vibrant ecosystem.

Badain Jaran Desert is China's second-largest drifting desert and is renowned for its distinctive high dunes, "singing" sand, clusters of lakes, clear springs and ancient temples — collectively known as the "Five Wonders".

Beyond these attractions, the desert is home to other spectacular attractions such as Daghtu Lake, a pink body of water that owes its unusual color to mineral salts.

Animals, particularly camels, flourish in this unlikely sanctuary and live in harmony with their human handlers.

"Our roots run deep in this land, spanning three generations. Camels are our lifeblood, inseparable from the essence of the Badain Jaran Desert," said Zhang Jun, Party secretary of Bayin Bo Rige village of Badain Jaran town in Alshaa Right Banner.

In 1956, Zhang's grandfather settled here, sustaining himself through herding animals as he traversed the land on foot. By the time Zhang's father was born in 1960, camels were the primary mode of transportation. For Zhang's generation, off-road vehicles are today the norm for traveling through the desert.

The rapid evolution of transportation in Badain Jaran Desert is a great source of pride for Zhang who sees it as a reflection of the nation's progress.

"From our life in the desert, I feel that the country has developed very quickly, which makes me particularly gratified," he said.