Why do the Kunlun Mountains appear especially high when viewed from the Takla Makan Desert?

The Kunlun Mountains appear especially high when viewed from the Takla Makan Desert because they form a massive, imposing rampart that rises abruptly above the desert's southern edge.1

While the southern face of the range rises only about 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) above the already high Plateau of Tibet, the northern perspective from the desert floor provides a much more dramatic contrast. From the oases at the edge of the desert, the mountains appear as a formidable barrier that blocks access to the high, icy, and barren reaches of the Tibet Autonomous Region.1