Dunhuang 2-Day Tour

Mogao Caves--Singing Sand Dunes--Crescent Spring

4-Stars Hotel

Breakfast

In the morning, we will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the Mogao Caves scenic area. Construction of the Mogao Caves began during the Former Qin dynasty of the Sixteen Kingdoms Period and continued through successive eras including the Sixteen Kingdoms, Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Western Xia, and Yuan dynasties. Today, there are 735 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals, and 2,415 painted clay sculptures, making it the world's largest and richest existing site of Buddhist art. Among these, 492 caves remain well-preserved.

In modern times, the discovery of the Library Cave, containing over 50,000 ancient artifacts, further enriched the site. The vast Mogao Caves complex encompasses not only the traditional cultures and arts of ancient China and the Western Regions but has also earned accolades such as "World Art Gallery," "Museum on Walls," and "World Treasure House of Art" for the magnificence and richness of its mural and painted sculpture art, as well as the profound depth of its content.

Alongside the Yungang Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes, the Mogao Caves are ranked as one of China's Three Great Grottoes. In 1961, the Mogao Caves were designated among the first group of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites by the State Council of the People's Republic of China. In December 1987, they were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Here, you can admire the iconic Nine-Story Pagoda, housing a 35.5-meter-tall Tang Dynasty statue of Maitreya Buddha. You can also immerse yourself in the art of the caves through the digital exhibition center's dome theater film Dreamlike Dunhuang and the documentary The Millennium Mogao (advance booking is required). Additionally, you can appreciate the various exquisite sculptures, architectural features, and more within the caves.

In the afternoon, we will drive to the Singing Sand Dunes to enjoy the magnificent desert scenery. The Singing Sand Dunes are a renowned natural landmark in Dunhuang. Together with the Mogao Caves and Crescent Spring, they form Dunhuang’s "Golden Triangle" of tourism.

Here, you’ll witness the spectacular sand mountains, whose peaks ripple across the landscape, reaching a maximum elevation of 1,715 meters. The sand is fine and golden in color. When the wind blows, it creates a singing or humming sound, giving the dunes their name. Remarkably, despite centuries of wind erosion, the dunes never shift significantly, creating the natural wonder known as "sand never buries the spring."

Nestled within the embrace of the Singing Sand Dunes lies Crescent Spring, named for its distinct crescent-moon shape. Even after countless visitors climb the dunes, any footprints and shifted sand are naturally restored by the wind. Despite the constant strong winds and swirling sands, the Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Spring have coexisted harmoniously for millennia.

Western Thousand Buddha Caves -- Yang Pass -- Jade Gate Pass -- Yardang Devil City

Morning: Western Thousand Buddha Caves (Xiqianfodong)
We will pick you up from your hotel in the morning and take you to the Western Thousand Buddha Caves. An integral part of Dunhuang's artistic heritage, the exact founding date of these caves remains unknown. However, based on records found in the Illustrated Gazetteer of Shazhou Prefecture, a Dunhuang manuscript now housed in Paris, archaeological and historical experts have deduced that the Western Thousand Buddha Caves were likely established earlier than the Mogao Caves, or at least belong to the same period.

The site currently houses 34 painted sculptures and over 800 square meters of murals. While many statues were re-sculpted during the Qing Dynasty and Republican era, a few retain their original form. The style and content of the murals are largely consistent with those from contemporaneous periods at Mogao. The Western Thousand Buddha Caves possess their own distinct artistic characteristics, particularly noticeable in how multiple restorations were carried out in later dynasties within individual caves. This results in the fascinating coexistence of multi-era artistic features within single grottoes.

Yang Pass (Yangguan)
Next, we proceed by vehicle to Yang Pass. Originally built during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han and reinforced around 120 BC, it served as a crucial frontier outpost. As a vital pass on the ancient Silk Road, Yang Pass was the strategic gateway controlling the southern route to the Western Regions. Its name, meaning "Sun Gate," derives from its location south of the Jade Gate Pass. Together, Yang Pass and Jade Gate Pass were known as the "Two Passes", the most important western frontier gates of ancient China.

In Chinese literature, Yang Pass is deeply associated with sad farewells, frequently appearing in frontier poetry. This symbolism stems from its historical role as the last station within China proper for travelers embarking westward into the vast and uncertain territories of the Western Regions.

Afternoon: Jade Gate Pass (Yumenguan)
Continuing our journey in the afternoon, we arrive at the Jade Gate Pass (Yumenguan). This significant Han Dynasty gateway on the Silk Road, paired with Yang Pass, forms the renowned "Two Pass Relics". Throughout ancient Chinese history, it has been a poignant subject for poets and scholars. The Tang Dynasty poet Wang Zhihuan famously captured its remote essence in the lines: "Why should the Qiang flute lament the willow? / Spring breezes refuse to cross the Jade Gate Pass." 

Han Dynasty Great Wall Ruins (World Cultural Heritage)
Nearby lie the Han Dynasty Great Wall Ruins, inscribed as a World Cultural Heritage site. A surviving section, approximately 300 meters long, showcases ancient construction ingenuity. Built using rammed earth layered with reeds and gravel, it stands as a testament to the engineering skills of its time.

Yardang Devil City
Finally, we reach the Yardang Devil City, a dramatic landscape sculpted by wind erosion, featuring towering earth pillars and ridges resembling an ancient, ruined city.