In the early winter, vibrant colors remain in the Lop Nur National Wetland Park in Yuli County of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In Mongolian, "lop nur" means "water from multiple streams collected in this lake." From the satellite image, the Lop Nur lake resembles a person's ear; thus, it's also named "Earth's Ear."

Due to the extreme dryness between the Taklamakan and Kumtag deserts, the Lop Nur lake is now mostly dried up. However, the climate helps preserve many ancient tombs and historical sites, such as the relics of the ancient Loulan Kingdom.

(All images via VCG. Edited by Zhao Ying.)

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