Welcome to Dūnhuáng
The fertile Dūnhuáng (敦煌) oasis has for millennia been a refuge for weary Silk Road travellers. Most visitors stayed long enough only to swap a camel; but some stayed, building the forts, towers and cave temples that are scattered over the surrounding area. These sites, along with some dwarfing sand dunes and desertscapes, make Dūnhuáng a magnificent place to visit.
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Dūnhuáng activities
All Inclusive Private Day Trip to Jade Gate Pass, Han Dynasty Great Wall Ruin, and Ghost City from Dunhuang
At 8 am, you guide will meet you at your hotel lobby. Then, you will take a 1.5-hour ride to Jade Gate Pass, also known as Yumenguan in Chinese. Yang Pass and Jade Gate Pass were 2 important passes near Dunhuang in ancient time. You can still see the ruin of these big passes that are situated near a oasis in the middle of Gobi Desert.Afterwards, you will head to Han Dynasty Great Wall Ruin that was built in Han Dynasty about 2,000 years ago. It is very impressive to see the wonder extending from inland China all the way here, and then to Lop Nur.Later, you will continue driving for 1.5 hours to Ghost City that is Yardan Geological National Park nearby Lop Nur, and it is the key route of the ancient Silk Road from Dunhuang to Lop Nur. There are many different clay formation created by the wind. You will hear the horrified sounds from the clay on a windy day as if whispers of ghosts, hence the name. Lunch is included and served at a local restaurant. At the end, you will be transferred back to you hotel where the busy but wonderful day concludes.
Dunhuang Private Day Tour including Mogao Grottoes, Singing Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring
At 8:00am, your guide will pick you up from the lobby of your Dunhuang hotel and transfer you to Visitors' Center of Mogao Grottoes, an UNESCO listed World Heritage Site, where you will watch two documentaries about the caves and Silk Road. Then, a professional cave guide will lead you to explore about 7 to 9 caves closely. You will be astonished by well-preserved fresco and statues in the caves from the 4th century. The caves were built by monks with donated funds and elaborately painted to serve as shrines and for meditation and enlightenment. Those paintings are also a teaching tools to inform those illiterate about Buddhist beliefs and stories. The primary caves were sponsored by patrons of important clergies, local ruling elites, foreign dignitaries, and Chinese emperors. Some of the caves might have been funded by merchants, military officers, and local residents. Lunch is included at local restaurant. Around 3:30pm, you will be transferred to see Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring. This magical spring is located in the center of sand dunes but it has never been covered by the sand throughout the history. It is also called whistling sand or barking sand that produces sound which is perhaps caused by wind passing over dunes or by walking on the sand. Crescent Moon Spring is a crescent-shaped lake oasis in Gobi Desert that is slowing shrinking due to climate change. After the lake visit, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Dunhuang where this wonderful private day trip concludes. *Note: Your visit to the Mogao Caves might be changed to the afternoon due to daily availability of the attraction. In this case, you will visit the Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring in the morning.
Private Silk Road Hiking Day Tour of Yangguan Pass Including Lunch
At 8:30 am, your private English-speaking guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel to embark on a day of adventure. You will be transferred by comfortably air-conditioned private vehicle to Yangguan that is located by a small oasis about 70 kilometers away from downtown Dunhuang. By 9:30 am, you will start hiking in Yangguan. The distance of your hike is approximately 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) from the entrance to the site of Yangguan Pass. Along the way, you will see the beautiful oasis before arriving at Yangguan Pass where you will apply for a "passport" from the governor as a souvenir and also visit the Museum of Yangguan Pass. Lunch will be served at a local farmer's restaurant where you could visit the vineyard during lunch.In the afternoon, you will be transferred to Jade Gate Pass and the site of Han Dynasty Great Wall (256 B.C. - 195 B.C.) which takes approximately 1 hour. In Chinese history, Han Dynasty built many walls to strengthen the safety of their frontier as well as exploring ways to do business with the western region. Instead of piling up layers upon layers of stones or bricks like other dynasties did, the Great Wall of Han Dynasty was built with sand and weeds that were abundant locally. These two materials were mixed together by being layered on top of each other. On average, every layer measures from 4.7 to 5.9 inches (12 to 15 centimeters). Current remains of the wall is ranging from 1.6 feet tall to over 6.6 feet in height. At the end, you will be transferred back to your Dunhuang hotel by 5:30pm where this tour ends.
Private One Day tour to Yulin Grottoes and Suoyangcheng Ruins Including Lunch
At 8:30 am, our professional tour guide will meet you in your Dunhuang hotel, by car / bus to the Yulin Grottoes, during the 2.5 hours trip, you will see the vast Gobi and desert, village, grassland and snow mountain on the way. The grottoes were opened on the cliff of a valley, the cave 25 is the most complete preservation. Murals in these grottoes which consist of huge scripture drawings, portraits of Buddha etc. reveal the highly developed art of painting in the Tang Dynasty more than 1300 years ago. Scripture drawings on the southern and northern walls of cave 25 are big ones. These colorful, especially line drawings are rare. Lunch will provided in a local farmer's restaurant. The Suoyangcheng Ruins used to be a very important stop on the famous Silk Road, it was established in 3rd century AD. it has listed in the UNESCO in 2014. It consist of the ancient city, the ancient river way, the old temple, the old graves and the farming area.The ancient city consist of inner city and out city, now days, the city wall is still 10 meters high, we still can see the old construction site in the Suoyangcheng city. At the end, you will be transferred back to your Dunhuang hotel where this tour ends. Wish you have a nice trip with us.
Dunhuang Silk Road Adventure Day Tour: Mogao Grottoes and Crescent Moon Spring
Meet your guide at your hotel in Dunhuang down-town, and you will head to the Mogao Caves, also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas. These caves form a system of 492 temples and are located about 25 kilometres south-east of Dunhuang city.One of the most important caves at the complex is the Library Cave, which was discovered in 1900. The cave contained a large amount of important religious documents which had been sealed up in the cave in the 11th century. The contents of the cave were spread across Beijing, London, Paris and Berlin, to coordinate, collect and study the materials found. This cave is also open to visitors and draws large crowds.Afterwards you will go for a simple local lunch to a restaurant. Afterwards you will head to the Crescent Spring and Echoing Sand Mountain.Crescent Spring is 100 meters long and 25 meters wide, deeper in the east than in the west. The spring has been surrounded by desert for thousands of years, and the water here is extremely clear. There’s lush vegetation surrounding the spring, so it creates a real oasis. Its name comes from the shape, which resembles a half moon, and the spring is surrounded by Echoing Sand Mountain. This mountain is known to ‘whisper’ when the breeze comes in from certain angles, hence its name. This mountain also offers a heap of fun for those who like sand gliding or camel riding. Then you will be taken back to your hotel.
Private Dunhuang Adventure Full-Day Tour: Mo Gao Caves-Crescent Spring and Singing Sand Dune
Your day tour starts with a morning pickup from your centrally located hotel. Relax in a comfortable air-conditioned minivan as your guide and driver take you to Mogao Caves. You will first watch a movie for about an hour, getting a general understanding of the history of the caves. Then, visit different caves including the largest cave, Cave 96, and manuscripts storage, Cave 17, where hoards of Buddhism scriptures were discovered, and learn about Buddhist art and murals. Later, return to your vehicle and move on to Singing Sand Dune. Hearing the beautiful sound along your way to the mountain and back on a camel ride with your guide’s introductions to get a better understanding of the name of the dune. Hike to the mountain top for panoramic views of tiers over tiers of sand dunes in this mysterious desert and get a glimpse of the Crescent Lake below. Come down from the sand dune mountains and continue your camel ride closer to Crescent Lake. Your guide will unveil its mysteries and share the efforts made by Chinese government to conserve the condition of this gradually shrinking oasis. Your tour concludes at approximately 5:00pm as you enjoy a comfortable ride back to your hotel.