Dunhuang

Dunhuang, best known for the nearby Dunhuang Caves, is a county-level city in northwestern Gansu province, Western China. It was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road. The city was founded by Emperor Wudi of the Han dynasty in 111 BC at the cross roads of two trading routes on the Silk Road, and the name 'Dunhuang', meaning to 'to flourish and prosper,' gives some indication of the town's prominence in ancient China. It is much less important today.

The city was also known at times as Shazhou, or 'City of Sands', "or Dukhan as the Turkis call it." Administratively, the county-level city of Dunhuang is part of the prefecture-level city of Jiuquan. It is situated in a rich oasis containing Crescent Lake and Mingsha Shan "Echoing-Sand Mountain". Mingsha Shan is named after the sound of the wind whipping off the dunes, the singing sand phenomenon. Nearby Dunhuang, there are Yumenguan Pass and Yangguan Pass, two famous ancient fortress of Great Wall of China.

It commands a strategic position at the crossroads of the ancient Southern Silk Route and the main road leading from India via Lhasa to Mongolia and Southern Siberia, as well as controlling the entrance to the narrow Hexi Corridor which led straight to the heart of the north Chinese plains and the ancient capitals of Chang'an (today known as Xi'an) and Luoyang.

Tours

8-day Xinjiang Silk Road Highlights

Dunhuang → Turpan → Urumqi → Kashgar

The 8 days Xinjiang Silk Road Tour covers Shazhou Night Market, Mogao Grottoes, Echoing-Sand Mountain, Crescent Moon Spring, Astana Tombs, Flaming Mountain, Bezeklik Grottoes, Local Uygur family visit, Jiaohe Ruined city, Sugong Minaret, Karez Irrigation system, Erdaoqiao Market, International Bazaar, Xinjiang Museum, Heavenly Lake, Karakul Lake, Sunday Bazaar, Id Kah Mosque, Handicraft street...

10-day Great Silk Road Tour

Xian → Dunhuang → Turpan → Urumqi → Kashgar → Beijing

The 10 days Great Silk Road Tour for tourist silk road culture and nature interests to visit Xi'an Ancient City Wall, Hecang Military Depot, Jiayuguan Pass, Mogao Grottoes, Echoing-Sand Mountain, Crescent Moon Lake, Karez Channels, Flaming Mountain, Mount Nan Pasture, Sunday Bazaar, Abakh Khoja Tomb, Karakul Lake...

16-day Xinjiang Gansu Yunnan Sichuan Tibet Tour

Urumqi → Turpan → Dunhuang → Jiayuguan → Lanzhou → Xian → Kunming → Dali → Lijiang → Lhasa → Emeishan → Leshan → Chengdu

16-day Xinjiang Gansu Yunnan Sichuan Tibet Tour tour to visit Urumqi, Turpan, Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, Lanzhou, Xi'an Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Lhasa, Leshan, Chengdu in Northwest and Southwest China and more....

17-day Golden China & Silk Road Xinjiang Tour

Shanghai → Guilin → Xian → Lanzhou → Xiahe → Jiayuguan → Dunhuang → Turpan → Urumqi → Beijing

This golden China triangle Beijing Xian Shanghai Tour links the Silk Road travel attractions in Gansu Lanzhou Dunhuang, Xinjiang Turpan, Urumqi, Kashgar and more for adventure experience.

9-day Silk Road China Lanzhou to Kashgar Tour

Lanzhou → Xiahe → Jiayuguan → Dunhuang → Turpan → Urumqi → Kashgar

This 9 days Silk Road China tour travel thrugh Lanzhou, Xiahe, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Turpan, Urumqi, Kashgar to view Gansu Provincial Museum, Labrang Monastery, the Jiayuguan Pass, Mogao Grottoes, Echoing-Sand Mountain, Crescent Lake, Jiaohe Ruins, Astana Tombs, Sunday Bazaar... .

12-day Silk Road China Adventure Tour

Beijing → Urumqi → Turpan → Dunhuang → Xian → Suzhou → Shanghai

12 days Silk Road China Adventure Tour thru Beijing, Urumqi, Turpan, Dunhuang, Xian, Suzhou Shanghai to see Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors, Mogao Caves & Murul Paintings, Turpan Depression, Urumqi Uyghur regions.

Attractions

Mogao Caves

The Mogao Grottos or Mogao Caves, housing the ancient thousand buddhas and mural paintings, are the famous Dunhuang highlights of buddhist art treasures shrine on the north-west Silk Road China.

Dunhuang Museum

The Dunhuang Museum, located in the downtown of Dunhuang city, is a three-storey building where visitors can get a better idea of the Hexi Corridor on the ancient Silk Road China.

Yangguan Pass Han Great Wall

The Yangguan (Yang Pass), together with another grand pass - Yumen Pass, acted as important passageways to Central Asia, India and Europe. Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty (206BC - 24AD) built Yangguan Pass and Yumenguan Pass in 121BC in order to resist the Huns (Xiongnu) and manage the West Region of China.

Dunhuang Grotto Art Protection Center

Locted oppsite Mogao caves, Dunhuang Grotto Art Protection, Examination and Exhibition Center is a two-story low building hidden itself a half in the hill. The grotto art center has a video studio hall and three exhibition areas.

Yadan National Geological Park

Yadan National Geological Park, located at 180 km northwest to Dunhuang, Gansu, is one of the world's largest area of yardang landform as significant natural heritage under State level protection.

Mingsha Shan Echo Sand Dunes

Refered to Echo Sand Mountain, have you ever heard of a good place to ride a camel or climb the stunning dunes for a spectacular view?!

Dunhuang Movie & Film Ancient City

Dunhuang Movie Set, also known as Modeled Shazhou Town of Song Dynasty (960-1279), is about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) southwest of Dunhuang City. The town, covering an area of 12,700 square meters (3.1 acres) was originally designed for the setting of the historical film Dunhuang in 1987.

Yumenguan Pass Han Great Wall

The Yumen Pass, as a beacon tower fort of the Han Great Wall, sits on the desert 56 miles northwest from Dunhuang Gansu at the western end of Hexi Corridor. Near Yadan National Geological Park, Yumen Pass, together with Yangguan Pass is the two crucial gateways on the western frontier of the Han Dynasty of China.

Crescent Moon Lake

Crescent Moon Lake, called as Yueyaquan in Chinese, is a crescent-shaped pool in the oasis, 5 km southwest of the city Dunhuang of Gansu province, China. It was named Yueyaquan since Qing Dynasty.

Hotels

Dunhuang Yangguan Hotel

Opened in 2006, Dunhuang Yangguan Hotel is a three-star tourist hotel situated on South Shazhou Road within easy reach of the Commercial Street in downtown Dunhuang. The hotel staffs are superbly trained to ensure all guests’ requests receive the utmost care and attention.

Dunhuang Hotel

Dunhuang Hotel is the four-star garden-style hotel, has a long history, taking an area of 32,000 square meters. It's close to Dunhuang Pedestrian Street, Shanzhou evening market, Dunhuang Fengqing City and municipal government square. Built in 1978, the hotel has received Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao and other 30 some party and state leaders, received former Japanese Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita, former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew, and more than 50 countries, diplomats and more than 30 countries, military attaches.

Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel

The Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel (Dunhuang Shanzhuang) is a Chinese-Hong Kong joint venture and is the most luxurious accommodation option in town. The hotel captures the spirit of the Tang Dynasty with its unique architectural design - the large rooftops and long corridors of the Han and Tang dynasties; the typical enclosed courtyard style design and mud walls of the northwestern part of China; and the replica of the late Tang, Ming and Qing dynasties furniture. All these work together to recapture the flavor of a bygone era with their simplicity and use of natural building materials.

Mogao Hotel Dunhuang

Located at city center of Dunhuang, Mogao Hotel is managed by Chenguang Industry Co., Ltd., has easy access to Mingsha Mountain Yueyaquan scenic area, with excellent location and convenient traffic. It is a hotel gathers the business, travel and entertainment together.