A Broad Heart Is the Journey
Be a quiet person. Read, travel, wait for love. Give yourself a soft period of time, not too far, not too expensive, to go to a quiet place where you can release and soothe yourself. Travel should simply be about going out for a walk; where you go isn't important—a broad heart is the journey.
After much deliberation, I decided to go to that quiet city, Dunhuang. I planned everything in advance and prepared for a spontaneous solo trip.
Upon arriving in Dunhuang, I checked into a guesthouse near Crescent Moon Spring. Since it was close to the scenic area, I thought it would be convenient for visiting the site. The guesthouse was clean, tidy, and quiet, with many nearby snack stalls and restaurants, like a small market, so there was no need to worry about being far from the city center.
On the first day, I planned to visit the Western Thousand Buddha Caves in Dunhuang. I heard that the scale of the Western Thousand Buddha Caves is no smaller than that of the Mogao Caves, and it is quiet with few visitors. What's more, you can appreciate the murals up close, which is truly precious.
The Western Thousand Buddha Caves are located on the cliffs of the Dang River, 35 kilometers from Dunhuang. They are an important part of Dunhuang art and get their name because they are west of the Mogao Caves (commonly known as the Thousand Buddha Caves), separated only by Mingsha Mountain. There are 16 existing caves, mostly excavated during the Northern Wei Dynasty, with caves 1–3 being from the Tang Dynasty, caves 4–8 from the Wei Dynasty, and cave 16 from the late Tang Dynasty. Their excavation time should be earlier than that of the Mogao Caves, or at least contemporary with them. The cave structures, painted sculptures, and mural art styles are similar to those of the Mogao Caves. Although the scale is much smaller than the Mogao Caves, I prefer this place. Compared to the sea of people at Mogao, this place is like a pure land. With almost no tourists, you can slowly listen to the guide's explanations. Highly recommended.
On the second day, I went to the Dunhuang Film Studio, which is not far from the city center. Many movie scenes were filmed here. The architecture is all in a retro style, perfect for taking photos in ancient costumes. It's also worth a visit.
After visiting the ancient city, I went to a place called Yuequan Town near Crescent Moon Spring. I tasted many local snacks, mainly noodles. The flavor was quite good. Since I had booked tickets for the Dunhuang Grand Ceremony performance in the evening, and Yuequan Town is very close to the Dunhuang Grand Ceremony theater, after eating, I could walk to the theater and wait for the show while digesting.
The Dunhuang Grand Ceremony performance started at 9:30 pm, with ticket check beginning at 9:00 pm. As the sky darkened, the show started on time at 9:30. The first act featured red lights swirling, highlighting the mountains in front, and a group of monks appeared. On the other side, the painter Mo Ding emerged with a camel caravan. Real camels walked past in front of us! Suddenly, a gust of wind brought a group of bandits, separating Mo Ding and the caravan.
Then the rotating seats turned to the second act, where beautiful fairies danced the Hu Xuan dance. Mo Ding and the princess met. There was also the first time I saw Datiehua (iron flower throwing), which was truly beautiful—more stunning than fireworks. Then came the loving scene of Mo Ding and the princess eloping. The third act was the 3D light show on the cave wall mentioned in the introduction. The lighting effect was stunning, and the grand stage design was a visual feast. In the fourth act, the seats moved us into a wrapped cave, with murals all around us and above. The story: the princess's father found her, and she reluctantly listened to her father's advice, chose to go on a marriage alliance, and painfully parted from Mo Ding. The scene was really touching. Suddenly, many flying apsaras on wires descended from the sky, once again shocking me. It was a performance worth watching.
