Travelling along the Tuhe Expressway in Xinjiang, the drive from Bachu to Kashgar crosses vast stretches of the Gobi Desert.

Outside the window, gravel plains stretch towards the horizon across nearly 293,000 square kilometres of expansive terrain.
 

Over time, wind erosion and deposits along the mountain foothills have shaped distinctive formations across the landscape.

These rugged landforms preserve traces of millions of years of geological change in this remote corner of Xinjiang.