===Alashan Plateau semi-desert===The southwestern portion of the Gobi, known also as the Hsi-tau and the Little Gobi, fills the space between the great north loop of the Yellow River on the east, the Ejin River on the west, and the Qilian Mountains and narrow rocky chain of Longshou, in altitude, on the southwest.
To veliko puščavsko pokrajino je prečkalo več trgovskih poti, nekatere so bile v uporabi že tisoče let.