Located in the northwest of the Aerdun Quke Prairie, with an altitude of 2,770 meters, Golmud Populus Euphratica Forest is the only one in Qinghai and also the one with the highest altitude in the world. Nestled between the majestic Kunlun Mountains to the south and the vast Gobi salt flats to the north, this forest stands out as a precious gem within the desertified zone.　

Populus euphratica is drought-enduring and waterlogging-resistant. It is said that “it does not die for 1,000 years, does not fall down 1,000 years after death, and does not decay for 1,000 years after falling down”, so it is praised as the “Hero Tree in the Desert”. Despite sandstorms, droughts, erosion of salt and alkali, and extreme winter cold or broiling summer heat, they can still survive stubbornly. Golmud City in the Qaidam Basin is affected by sandstorms throughout the year. This Populus euphratica forest has reduced sandstorms to some extent, serving as the ecological protective screen for Golmud, a city in the Gobi.