The Great Northwest Loop: A Must-Visit in a Lifetime—Dunhuang
Dunhuang was my second stop on the Great Northwest trip. As soon as I got off the plane, I could only vaguely see a few trees. On the way to the guesthouse, the scenery changed from desolate Gobi to lush greenery, making Dunhuang feel like a magical place.
We booked Shayan Inn near the Crescent Moon Spring scenic area. The owner, a young man, was very welcoming. The sand would also burn our feet, so we planned to go after waking up. We had a large double room at 168 RMB, spacious and clean, and it was just a few minutes' walk to the scenic area. Highly recommended, five stars.
The entrance fee for Crescent Moon Spring was 110 RMB and could be booked online in advance. At the ticket gate, we could see endless sand dunes undulating—completely different from the mountains in the south. They rented shoe covers at the entrance, but I didn't really recommend them. We came to experience the desert, so why isolate ourselves from the sand? Besides, the sand looked clean. Once in the vast desert, we had to ride camels to enjoy the desert scenery. The camel ride cost 100 RMB, which I thought was very reasonable. Highly recommended, five stars. There were also sand sliding, gliders, off-road vehicles, and other activities for those interested. Climbing to the top of the dune, we saw endless rolling dunes. Looking down at Crescent Moon Spring, it really looked like a crescent moon fallen into the boundless desert. The spring water was neither dry nor smelly, and there were fish and water plants. Truly a magical existence. Fortunately, we also witnessed the desert sunset—it was magnificent. Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring complement each other, nestled together for thousands of years, just like love...
In the evening, we booked the 'Dunhuang Grand Ceremony' show. The performance venue was not far from the scenic area and our accommodation, so we could walk there. (We walked directly from the scenic area to the show and returned to the inn on foot after the show.) We bought A-zone tickets at 318 RMB, seats in the middle, with a good view. The performance was wonderful; the audience seats rotated with the show, and the scenery was all real. Mingsha Mountain, Crescent Moon Spring, and the caves were very realistically recreated—especially the cave scene, which was quite impressive. It felt like we were experiencing the wisdom of ancient laborers firsthand, from carving the caves to painting the murals, all performed vividly. The iron flower show in the second act was also spectacular, completely different from modern fireworks. Overall, it was extremely shocking and magnificent. Highly recommended, five stars, very NICE...
The next morning, we visited the Mogao Caves. We had bought Category A tickets online in advance, which allowed us to watch a movie and visit 8 caves, at a cost of 238 RMB. To protect the murals, photography was not allowed inside the caves. The murals were lifelike, having weathered thousands of years yet still perfectly preserved before our eyes. The ancient working people were truly remarkable. The guide's explanations were very detailed, especially when we heard about the Library Cave—it was really infuriating. There are mixed opinions about the monk Wang Yuanlu's merits and faults. I hope those scriptures that have been dispersed abroad can return to China, to Dunhuang, making the Mogao Caves more complete and leaving no regrets in history...
After visiting the Mogao Caves and resting, we went to the night market to buy some souvenirs and local specialties. We ate the local scallion beef pie, drank the unique apricot peel water, and had donkey meat yellow noodles. These were all recommended by locals, and the flavors were really good. I wanted to try more, but my stomach couldn't handle it. Looking forward to eating more next time!
Since my vacation was short and I wanted to visit many places, I took a bus to Da Qaidam on the third morning... Although I only spent two days in Dunhuang and had to leave, missing the Yadan landforms and Yang Pass, what I saw in those two days already amazed and shocked me. Dunhuang, looking forward to our next encounter...
