Labels:text | font | black and white | white OCR: and is separated from the Taklimakan desert by the Tian Shan mountains. The Taklimakan desert is over 5000 feet high and is made up of sand dunes interspersed with rocky hills and dry salt lakes. In the south west are the Alashan and Mu Us deserts, the latter running up to the Great Wall of China. The extreme temperatures of the Gobi coupled with its dryness make it a harsh place for plant life to survive. Typical species are salt-resistant and include tamaris k and unted willow.