Lotus in the Xiangshawan Desert

The Lotos hotel in the desert doesn't seem like the best place to stay. Spread among the rolling dunes, the hotel is located 800 km from Beijing, far from the coast and major cities, in the heart of the desert in Inner Mongolia. But nearby is the town of Baotou, which produces more than half of the world's reserves of rare minerals. Deserts and resorts are not the best couple, but the Chinese company that built the Lotus Hotel managed to solve many of the problems associated with this.

The Desert Lotus Hotel has no traditional foundations and no cement or water was used in the construction. The hotel stands on a flat metal base filled with sand, which makes it as stable as ballast in a boat. Walls and ceilings are also created from a mixture using sand. The sail-like awnings reduce energy consumption and give the whole complex a foreign feel.

(Total 30 photos)

1. The Desert Lotus Hotel is still under construction in the Xiangshawan Desert, Inner Mongolia. It is a popular tourist resort in the desert. It is located in the central part of the Kubuki desert, near the city of Ordos. Here, descending from a 110-meter sand hill at a 45-degree angle that stretches for 200 meters, the sands emit a sound similar to the roar of a car engine, and no one can explain this natural phenomenon. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

2. Hotel "Lotus" among the dunes of the Xiangshavan desert, located in Inner Mongolia. On the left are rails for a small tourist train. (Photo by DigitalGlobe/Google, Inc.)

3. Yoga on the dunes of the Xiangshawan Desert, which is also called the Musical Desert. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

4. Tourists in the pool of the hotel «Desert Lotus». (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

5. General view of the desert. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

6. A model in a stylized Mongolian costume is preparing for a Mongolian ritual ceremony. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

7. Tourists pass by the hotel. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

8. Dancer in traditional costume during the Mongolian ritual ceremony. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

9. And in the background - a toilet! (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

10. Toilet against the backdrop of desert landscapes. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

11. Tourists ride camels during a tour of the desert. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

12. Model in Mongolian costume. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

13. Tourists during the Mongolian ritual ceremony. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

14. A girl is relaxing by the pool at the Lotus Desert Hotel. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

15. Yoga by the pool. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

16. Sand frog and tourist. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

17. The boys have fun in the hotel pool. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

18. A tourist went out into the Xiangshawan desert. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

19. A model in a Mongolian costume poses for a photo. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

20. Models in Mongolian costumes backstage during a presentation for tourists. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

21. Model in front of the toilet… (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

22. A couple has fun in the hotel pool. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

23. In the background - the plant of the city of Ordos. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

24. Girls are preparing for yoga in the desert. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

25. Yoga in the sand. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

26. A model in a Mongolian costume passes by the dancers. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

27. Dancers in traditional costumes against the backdrop of the Lotus Hotel. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

28. The dance team is preparing for the performance. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

29. Performance of dancers with torches and camels standing on a dune. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)

30. A model in a Mongolian costume by the pool. (Photo by Feng Li/Getty Images)