Just south of the river near the Hetao Plain
lies the Kubuqi desert (top picture).
Further south of it is the Moawusu desert
(bottom picture) which belongs to an interior basin
not draining into the river, though its underground
channels might have nourished several major irrigated regions
surrounding the desert. The desert is left undeveloped,
which I wish I know more about.
Kubuqi Desert
Maowusu Desert
Picture source: YRCC, Huanghe Liuyu Ditu Ji,
China Atlas Pub House, 1989.