Things to do in Dunhuang

We visited on Mid-Autumn Festival. The camel ride was quite affordable. The second staircase up the mountain was the longest. After reaching the top, we went to the area next to Building 1, which was convenient for watching the concert. There were many people after the concert, so we didn't take the electric cart. A few days later, they actually refunded the money they owed me. There was also a free bus at the entrance to take us to the Dunhuang Night Market. The service was excellent, and we were very satisfied.

It was nice to learn about the history behind this place, especially because we were able to get the English tour guide, she was very helpful and very knowledgeable about the whole area. If you are in this place, this is a must!

Dunhuang Bookstore is a great place to visit. It has a wide variety of books, the displays are unique, and the environment is quiet, perfect for peaceful reading. They also have some nice cultural and creative products, though a bit pricey, but I still bought several 😜. There are also intangible cultural heritage experiences, but I didn't have time for them. Maybe next time.

The most iconic exhibit at the Dunhuang Museum is undoubtedly the restoration of Cave 045 at Mogao Grottoes. The guide's explanations were very detailed and thorough. The exhibits are the best interpretation of history.

I originally thought Yangguan was just a landmark with not much to see, but I was deeply moved by the scenery here. Standing by the mottled ruins of the Great Wall and the beacon towers, with the whistling wind in my ears and the vast Gobi Desert and the faintly visible Kunlun Mountains in the distance, it felt like traveling back a thousand years. There is also a Silk Road Museum inside, which is worth visiting.

Worth seeing; a masterpiece of nature. The yardangs are strangely shaped, but also very fragile. We must protect our ecological resources and take good care of our planet, or we will be expelled from the world.

We drove there ourselves, it took a little over an hour from Shazhou Town in Dunhuang. It's definitely worth seeing; the Big and Small Passes and the Han Great Wall ruins were both breathtaking. The景区 staff were very dedicated and responsible; they even took us to the last attraction in their shuttle bus without rushing or showing any impatience, which was very touching.

The Great Silk Road It was incredibly cold today, but the blue sky was beautiful, and I even witnessed a sunset over the Gobi Desert. The Great Silk Road is generally quite nice. Regular cars can only cover half the route (from the East Gate to Hongliutan, a paved road), while off-road vehicles can complete the entire route (East Gate - Hongliutan - North Gate). However, this attraction is a bit inconvenient; it's 400 kilometers east of Dunhuang and 400 kilometers west of Turpan. You need to be determined to drive an extra 800 kilometers just to experience the Great Silk Road.

The Shazhou/Dunhuang Night market is clean, cohesively decorated, and conveniently located in the city center! As part of your silk road travels visit this well put together market for delicious food and souvenir buys! 🛍 We bought cashmere wool scarves, magnets, and knick knacks all for great prices. The vendors are not pushy at all! We had a pleasant experience wandering the shops and the vendors were very friendly and accommodating. I'd recommend having alipay or wechat pay set up as this is the most convenient payment method when travelling China but at this market the vendors did accept cash from our fellow tour guide travellers. 🐟 The food court area gives camping vibes. You'll see small camp stools and chairs around small fires. Our tour guide told us that the fish and beef cakes are the most popular. We tried the fish which was yummy and the beefcakes welllll the line was a little too long for us but our fellow tour group travellers said it was delicious and even bought some for the road the next day! 🎐 Since the market was in the city center we explored the shops nearby and then caught a Didi back to our hotel. The night market is worth visiting, probably one of the best I have visited in my travels.