A rare snowfall blanketing the Taklimakan Desert of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has created stunning, picturesque winter scenery, wowing local residents and visitors.

The Taklamakan, located in southwestern Xinjiang, is the largest desert in China and the second-largest shifting-sand desert in the world.

Due to the latest cold snap, the rolling desert dunes turned into snow-capped mountains of a "frozen" winter wonderland, with snow covering the branches of sparse trees and enlivening the vast desert.

Blanketing the golden sand with a silver coat, the large-scale snowfall helped the desert present special colors across the area.

"I saw the snow-covered desert many years ago, but this time it is even more spectacular and fantastic. Today, I'm very excited and have recorded the most beautiful scenery with my phone," said Wen Yongli, a resident in Qiemo County.

As the air temperature gradually rose at noon, the white snow sweeping across the desert began to melt, and the sand dunes on the sunny side of the Tarim Populus Euphratica National Forest Park in the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert gradually showed their natural color, while the snow that did not melt on the shady side took on streamlined ripples with the rolling sand dunes.

The intertwined yellow and white sand dunes and Populus euphratica and tamarisk set each other off beautifully, decorating the natural landscapes with gorgeous views.

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