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Home > Travel China > China Destinations > Dunhuang
Dunhuang
China is a cultural region and ancient civilization in East Asia. Dunhuang is a city in Jiuquan, Gansu province, China. It is sited at an oasis. It has a population of 100,000. The city is located near the historic junction of the northern and southern silk roads, and was therefore a town of military importance. For centuries Buddhist monks at Dunhuang collected scriptures from the west, and many pilgrims passed through the area, painting murals inside the Mogao Caves or Caves of a thousand Buddhas.
Public art in Dunhuang rocked by waves of invasion. Dunhuang has previously been independent, as well as being ruled by both China and Tibet. Dunhuang was made a prefecture in 117 BC, Before Christ, by emperor Han Wudi, and was a major point of interchange between China and the outside world during the Han and Tang dynasties.
Dunhuang's city center is relatively highly developed, including much commercial activity and many hotels. Bookshops and other souvenir shops sell materials relating to the caves and the history of the region. A night market is held in the city center, popular with tourists. Many souvenir items are sold, including some typical items as jade, jewelry, scrolls, hangings, small sculptures, and the like. A Central Asian dessert or sweet is also sold, consisting of a large, sweet confection made with nuts and dried fruit, sliced into the portion desired by the customer.
The neighboring attractions of the city include Crescent Lake and Echoing-Sand Mountain. These attractions are essentially part of the same area. The Crescent Lake is within the Sand-Mountain. This lake is apparently an oasis surrounded by the highly sandy area composed of high dunes. The Mingsha Shan is so named for the sound of the wind whipping off the dunes. The area is very popular with tourists.
Most tourists ride camels, organized by the complex operators, to reach the sand dunes. At the dunes, a popular activity for tourists is to ride sleds down the sand slopes, much like snow-sledding in winter in temperate zones. Along the side of the Crescent Lake is a pagoda in traditional Han Chinese architecture.
Dunhuang can also be considered as the preeminent, historical and potential tourism destination that enjoys a very positive reputation with worldwide travelers to become one of the most visited places.
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