This hotel surprised me!
1 Travel destination—Dunhuang
The destination for this trip is the Silk Road city of Dunhuang, steeped in profound cultural heritage. Self-driving is definitely the best way to leisurely explore Dunhuang! Driving on the G30 Expressway, then exiting onto Dunhuang, it's just one word: 'awesome'—endless blue sky and white clouds, feeling like you've seen the sky over the grasslands. Most importantly, the roads are incredibly smooth, making self-driving a pure pleasure!
2 Three essentials for self-driving
1. Plan your route, study the map, and update your navigation.
2. Choose your accommodation. For a self-driving trip, everyone must rest well to enjoy the journey! So picking a good hotel is crucial!
3. Learn about the destination's cuisine, customs, scenic spots, and weather to make your self-driving trip colorful and exciting.
I drove my beloved car with my family and arrived smoothly in Dunhuang without taking a wrong turn—proof that my preparations were perfect! The second essential was the top priority: because I wanted a comfortable rest, I searched online and finally chose the Dunhuang Hotel based on my needs. The result proved that my choice was absolutely right.
Choosing this hotel makes it almost impossible to get lost! After exiting the G30 Expressway, just go straight. Look at this—this is the most majestic landmark I saw when entering the city.
Entering the Dunhuang Hotel, its parking lot feels like a self-driving campsite. Another thing I couldn't believe: in the city center where land is precious, their parking lot is so spacious, and there's even an independent garden area, divided into north and south sections! So grand!
After parking, as soon as I got out of the car, a staff member came to greet us, helped with our luggage, and led the way. So my choice was very wise, because I like this feeling of being valued. When entering, the hotel's exterior seemed average, but for a hotel over 40 years old, I think it's acceptable!
Upon entering the lobby, my jaw dropped. My family stood dumbfounded, looking at the lobby. This is no ordinary hotel lobby! It's like a majestic museum! So I first took my family on a tour of the lobby—it's so beautiful!
When checking in, a warm towel, a cup of fragrant tea, and a smile made me instantly feel our distinguished status. That feeling was fantastic. My family was a bit unaccustomed, but I was deeply satisfied!
4 Special experience, temptation of food
While checking in at the front desk, many tourists were booking banquets. Out of curiosity, I casually asked and learned that the hotel hosts a banquet with song and dance every day, called the 'Dunhuang Banquet.' This banquet has quite a background. According to the staff, 'The Dunhuang Banquet won the highest award at the National Food Festival in 2002—the Golden Tripod Award—and is recognized as a famous Chinese banquet. It is a classic performance of Dunhuang regional culture and Mogao Caves Buddhist art, and a perfect combination of ancient cuisine and modern gastronomy.' Moreover, it used to be closed to ordinary tourists. It seems luck is unstoppable! I decisively booked seats for that afternoon, and my family all agreed!
We arrived on time as scheduled. A surprise hit me again like a blow! Why? Look at the picture!
'Civic prices, state-level enjoyment'—that's the only phrase I can think of now. At that time, I had a small question: why were only about thirty people attending such a high-class banquet? The staff's answer made me feel again that luck was favoring our family. The reason was simple: to ensure guest experience, they limit it to 40 people per day, and many people queue up but may not get in. Talk about luck!
A show of song and dance, a banquet, and detailed explanations of each dish allowed me to deeply experience the profoundness of Dunhuang culture through the food. Now, my family and I feel that having enjoyed such a banquet in this life, we have no regrets! Let me take you all to experience the food!
Just from the names, I think you can imagine the taste. Let me first tell the story of this porridge!
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang revealed the world-shaking treasure trove of cultural relics—the Library Cave. Subsequently, the artifacts scattered around the world, forming a new international field of study—Dunhuang Studies. The over 60,000 manuscripts unearthed from the Library Cave provide extremely rich materials for studying the history, culture, literature, art, music, dance, and dietary therapy of northwest China. This hotel turned texts into cuisine. To research, develop, and create therapeutic health foods for the Dunhuang Banquet, the hotel's second-generation chefs worked tirelessly, consulting materials, and found among thousands of manuscripts a porridge recipe from over 1,000 years ago—'Immortal Porridge.' This porridge was originally created for soldiers before battle; those seeing them off would offer the Immortal Porridge, to be eaten to strengthen masculine vigor. After drinking this porridge, soldiers were inspired to charge forward, bravely fight the enemy, and defend their homeland.
Under the snowy Qilian Mountains, on the vast ancient Silk Road, camels were the main means of transportation. They could travel long distances through the Gobi desert thanks to their four sturdy camel paws. Since camel paws are entirely tendons, their nutritional value is extremely high. However, camels generally live long and are rarely slaughtered, so camel paws are hard to find. Thus, they are as precious as bear paws.
In ancient China, mutton was a delicacy only the nobility could enjoy; ordinary people rarely had the chance to taste it. In the imperial court, mutton held an important place, whether in sacrifices or as rewards to officials. Mutton was always among the fine meats.
The special status of mutton led ancient Chinese to associate many beautiful things with the word 'sheep' (yang). For example, the character 'mei' (beauty) is composed of 'sheep' (yang) and 'big' (da), meaning a big sheep is fat and beautiful. According to the 'Shuowen Jiezi,' 'Mei means sweet; it is from sheep and big.'
The character 'xiu' (delicious) in oracle bone script is a pictograph depicting a person holding a sheep, indicating offering good food.
The character 'xian' (fresh) is related to an interesting story.
Peng Zu, from the time of Emperors Yao and Shun, was a man of great longevity; legend says he lived over 800 years.
In his old age, Peng Zu especially loved his youngest son, Xiding. Xiding liked to fish, but worried about his safety, Peng Zu strictly forbade him from going near the river.
One day, Xiding disobeyed his father's warning, went to the river, caught a fish, and brought it home to eat. Peng Zu's wife, afraid her son would be punished, secretly cooked the fish with mutton. To her surprise, it was exceptionally delicious. Peng Zu also loved it. To describe this unique flavor, he named it 'Sheep Hide Fish' (Yang Fang Cang Yu) and invented the character 'xian' (fresh).
And lamb elbow is the finest part of mutton. The lamb elbow is the most tender part of the front leg—crisp skin, sweet and soft meat, neither greasy nor gamey. It has the least mutton smell and the least fat, making it essential for pairing with various seafood treasures in this dish.
Wowa Pond is located in Nanhu Township, Dunhuang. It is a marsh lake formed by many springs. Legend has it that a man named Bao Lichang once saw an extraordinary horse often come to the pond to drink. He devised a plan, caught the horse, and presented it to Emperor Wu of Han, who loved horses dearly. Overjoyed, the emperor considered it a good omen and composed the 'Song of Taiyi Heavenly Horse' to celebrate. From then on, Wowa Pond and the heavenly horse became famous together. Now, the blue, crystal-clear lake water not only irrigates farmland but also raises various lively fish for tourists to enjoy.
Dunhuang Pao'er Yougao (Bubble Oil Cake) is a Han-style snack created by the Dunhuang Hotel based on traditional folk methods. It gets its name from its yellow, glossy appearance, fluffy surface like gossamer, and dense pearl-like bubbles. It is a soft cake made from flour, sugar, lard, walnut kernels, sesame, etc., crispy and sweet, delicious. Pao'er Yougao evolved from the Tang Dynasty's 'Jian Feng Qiao' (Crisp in the Wind) and initially appeared on palace and mansion banquets. Since few chefs could make it, it was rarely seen on the streets.
'The Qiang flute need not complain the willows have no leaves; the spring wind never reaches the Jade Gate Pass.' The Jade Gate Pass in this poem is located 90 km west of Dunhuang, built in the Western Han Dynasty. It was the only customs post on the northern route of the ancient Silk Road. At that time, anyone entering the Central Plains or traveling to the Western Regions had to have their travel documents (passports) inspected here and stamped with the gold seal of the Jade Gate Pass commandant before passing.
Yangguan Pass was the customs post on the southern route of the ancient Silk Road. Since its establishment in the Han Dynasty, countless civil and military officials, merchants, travelers, and literati passed through Yangguan for Sino-Western economic and cultural exchanges. There is a famous line: 'West of Yangguan, there are no old friends.' The old Yangguan Pass, once desolate, is now a desert oasis with lush trees, sparkling grapes, plump fish, and abundant water.
Because the jujube was first discovered at the foot of Mingsha Mountain, it is called Mingshan jujube. This jujube is of excellent quality, famous for its thin skin, thick flesh, small pit, sweet taste, and large size—among the best of Chinese jujubes. The jujube is oval, smooth and jade-like when ripe, red with a hint of black, and contains various nutrients. Its medicinal value is extremely high; it is an excellent product for enriching blood, nourishing qi, strengthening kidneys, and calming the mind.
This is a scene from the Yardang landforms. The yellow earth mounds shaped by wind and rain resemble granaries, presenting a bountiful harvest scene. This dish is created based on the Yardang granary. It has a beautiful shape, fresh and refreshing taste.
This is a beautiful and touching story from the murals. There was a kind-hearted nine-colored deer who risked her life to save a drowning man from the river. But under the temptation of profit, the man betrayed his promise and informed the king about the nine-colored deer. The king led troops to capture it. The deer recounted the rescue, and the king was deeply moved, ordering the protection of all deer.
Western Region beef steak with rice
Western Region beef is cooked, typically salt-braised, simmered over low heat, skillfully using spices and medicinal herbs, each with different effects. A thousand pieces of plain meat are not as good as meat on the bone. Northwesterners' beef uses Sichuan pepper and cardamom (to reduce heat and remove gamey smell), costus root (to soothe qi and relieve stagnation), low heat with salt (to soften beef fibers), cumin and chili (to enhance aroma and disperse), and most surprisingly, dried fruits and fresh fruits (to tenderize and aid digestion), etc. With these techniques, the Western Region beef steak with rice is fragrant, falls off the bone, delicious, and nutritious.
'Yellow noodles' are called 'water noodles' in Dunhuang manuscripts. They are frequently recorded in scroll P3505V. 'Water noodles' are the various yellow noodles in the Dunhuang area today. Yellow noodles are as thin as dragon's whiskers, as long as golden threads, supple and stretchy. After boiling, served with soup or vegetables, they have a fragrant aroma and unique taste. The technique for making yellow noodles is extremely particular and not easy to perform. The noodle maker uses both hands to manipulate a golden dough ball, constantly tossing, pulling, and spinning, like a magic trick, pulling the dough into noodles as thin as vermicelli. Cooked yellow noodles are bright in color. Eaten with vegetables, they can whet the appetite, remove greasiness, clear heat, and relieve irritation. The murals in Mogao Cave 256 depict the scene of making yellow noodles, showing their long history.
As thin as dragon's whiskers, as long as golden threads, supple and stretchy. After boiling, served with soup or vegetables, they have a fragrant aroma and unique taste. The technique for making yellow noodles is extremely particular and not easy to perform. The noodle maker uses both hands to manipulate a golden dough ball, constantly tossing and spinning, like a magic trick, pulling the dough into noodles as thin as vermicelli. Cooked yellow noodles are bright in color. Eaten with vegetables, they can whet the appetite, remove greasiness, clear heat, and relieve irritation.
Legend has it that a long time ago, in a small village, there lived a kind-hearted farmer couple. Though poor, they always helped others when they could, and were known far and wide as good people.
One day, the farmer went to chop firewood and found an old man on the verge of starvation by the roadside. He quickly carried the old man home and used the only bowl of rice they had to make porridge for him. The old man was moved by their kindness. Before leaving, he took out a seed from his pocket and said, 'This is an elm seed. Plant it in your yard. When it grows into a big tree, if you are in trouble, shake it and money will fall. But remember not to be greedy!'
The farmer planted the seed as instructed. After several years, it grew into a towering tree. Strangely, the tree bore strings of copper coins. The couple was not greedy; they continued to live in poverty, only shaking the tree when they were in dire need or wanted to help others, getting a few coins.
However, the local tyrant soon learned of this tree. He drove the farmer away with his thugs and took over the tree. He hugged the tree and shook it violently. Coins fell like rain. He shook from morning till noon, and finally, he and his thugs were buried and crushed under the coins.
From then on, the elm tree no longer produced coins.
Time passed. A great drought struck, and villagers were starving. Suddenly, they noticed that the elm tree had grown strings of green things that looked like coins. Hungry villagers picked a few leaves and tasted them—they were slightly sweet and delicious. Strangely, after eating them, they no longer felt hungry and gained strength. The whole village survived the famine thanks to this tree.
The surviving villagers, grateful for the tree's life-saving grace, called it the 'life-saving tree.' Because the things it bore looked like coins, they gave it a beautiful name: 'yu qian' (elm coins), also implying 'surplus money' every year. Thus, stir-fried elm coins is one of Dunhuang's local specialties, a must-eat every year for the people of Dunhuang.
Alright, let me just highlight the main points. Since our family has no resistance to good food, it's hard to fully convey the stories behind the Dunhuang Banquet with words alone. During the meal, I listened to the introductions. After over 40 years of development, the Dunhuang Banquet has created four major cuisines: the historical and scenic dishes, the mural story dishes, the folk snack collection dishes, and the therapeutic health food collection dishes. It can be said that each dish is a brilliant combination of history, art, and culinary culture. By now, the entire 'Dunhuang Banquet' contains hundreds or even thousands of dishes. What I tasted today is just a tiny fraction. No wonder every banquet is fully booked—it's not just about eating delicious food, but also about cultural enrichment! If I were to describe my first impression of Dunhuang through its food, it would be: 'So beautiful, I love Dunhuang so much!' An ancient poem says, 'West of Yangguan, there are no old friends.' Today, I want to say, 'West of Yangguan, there are many friends!' By experiencing the Dunhuang Banquet amidst ancient Dunhuang music and dance, you may gain a deeper appreciation of Dunhuang's history, food culture, and human elegance.
I never expected that before my Dunhuang trip even began, I could miraculously experience the famous Chinese banquet 'Dunhuang Banquet.' It seems this journey is destined to have many wonderful things happen to us!
