Life in the sea of death

Tazhong, which translates to "center of the desert," did not bear witness to these ancient travelers. It rose up out of the dust after the world's longest desert highway opened to traffic in 1995.

It was this 522-km highway that brought residents and life to the hinterland of Taklamakan. Later, oil workers came to exploit deposits hidden under the dunes. The township was not formally established until 2015.