Taklamakan means “no coming back after go in” in Uyghur language, The Taklamakan Desert covers an area of 337,000 km2 (130,000 sq mi), Located in the Tarim Basin south Xinjiang, which is 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) long from east to west, and 500 kilometres wide from north to south. The two ancient silk road passed along the north and south of the Taklamakan desert. It is the largest desert in China and second largest shifting sand desert in the world.
Taklimakan Desert is surround by snow-capped mountains. Tian Shan Mountain is located on its north, Kunlun Mountains on its south, Pamir Plateau on its west and Lop Nur Marshy on its east.
There are various explanations for the name of Taklimakan or Taklamakan which literally means “place for living underneath or the ruins”. It has been translated by ancient caravans and early travellers as”go in and you will never return”, “death of sea”, or “you can enter, but never exit”. These terms were used by Silk Road traders that used to cross it in their caravans on camel back. Many traders who entered the desert lost their way and were never seen again. Use of these popular terms ended in 1995 with the construction of the 520 km long desert highway. The 520 km long desert highway connects Niya of Hotan with Korla or Kucha. It has a total length of around 700 km. In 2007, a new desert highway from Hotan to Aksu via Aral was constructed with a total length of 460 km.
