Yulin's sights combine Ming Great Wall heritage with striking desert landscape. The Zhenbei Platform (Zhenbeitai), north of the city, is the largest surviving beacon tower on the entire Ming Wall, with the desert rolling north from its base. Hongshi Gorge, east of town, cuts through red sandstone cliffs pocked with cave dwellings and covered in carved inscriptions. Lake Hongjiannao, the largest desert freshwater lake in China, sits incongruously in the Mu Us Desert northwest of the city. The ancient city site of Shimao, in Shenmu County, is one of the most significant Bronze Age discoveries in China and still being excavated.