Camel Riding in Dunhuang

Dunhuang is located in western Gansu, an oasis in the vast Gobi Desert. Previously one of the important and strategic cities on the famous Silk Road, it contains over 2,000 years of history. Dunhuang is one of the frontier towns established around 104 BC, serving as a fortification to protect against invading tribes. Centuries later, Dunhuang was the main communication post between ancient China and the rest of the world. Christian and Jewish artifacts have been found in the area, showing the variety of travelers who made the journey along the Silk Road. Its style has fascinated travelers for ages. The Thousand Buddha Grottoes (or Mogao Caves) to the southeast of the city are a precious treasure trove of Buddhist art. There are exquisite wall paintings and statuary. Head northwest from Mogao Caves to the Great Wall at Yumen Pass and the Great Wall at Yang Pass to see the remnants of the Han Dynasty Great Wall, which were left behind in these famous mountain passes. Dunhuang's natural landscape is extremely worth seeing and enjoying. The wondrously multicolored Danxia Landform is a favorite place among photography lovers.

The Gobi Desert is a large desert or brushland region in East Asia. It covers parts of Northern and Northeastern China and of Southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Taklamakan Desert to the west, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the southwest and by the North China Plain to the southeast. The Gobi is notable in history as the location of several important cities along the Silk Road. The Gobi is a rain shadow desert, formed by the Tibetan Plateau blocking precipitation from the Indian Ocean reaching the Gobi territory. It is the 6th largest desert in the world and the 2nd largest in Asia.

The Singing Sand Dunes (Chinese: Ming Sha Shan) in Dunhuang, China, are the sand dunes that, when the wind blows, give out a singing or drumming sound. They are part of the Kumtag Desert. The Singing Sand Dunes were originally known as the "Gods' Sand Dunes". In the Records of the Grand Historian, Sima Qian described the sound "as if listening to music when the weather is fine." During the Ming Dynasty, they came to be called by the current name. There are four better-known singing sand dunes in China, that include those of Hami, which are usually said to give the best sound among the four, and those of Dunhuang.