Dunhuang travel guide and notes + tickets

August is now the hottest season for tourism in Dunhuang. The ancient Dunhuang, the desert of Dunhuang, and the Mogao Grottoes murals in Dunhuang are absolutely not to be missed. Paintings in Dunhuang have always been pursued by people like me who like painting. I like Dunhuang paintings, and learning the techniques is my inner belief. The editor who is working cannot go there for the time being, but everyone can go. Let’s take a look at Dunhuang. strategy.

1. What are the ways to get to Dunhuang?

(1) Airplane

Dunhuang Airport is 13 kilometers away from Dunhuang City and has now been opened to Beijing, Some of the routes to Shanghai, Dalian, Xi'an, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Yinchuan, Xining, Urumqi, Shanshan, and Jiayuguan are charter flights. In order to facilitate travel for passengers, Dunhuang Airport also provides charter flights for tourists. There is a shuttle bus between the city and the airport, and the fare is 6 yuan/person. The taxi ride is about 30-40 yuan

(2) The train was originally located at Dunhuang Railway Station in Guazhou County, but is now renamed Liuyuan Railway Station. Dunhua Railway Station (new station) started operation in the spring of 2006, and you can take a train directly from Lanzhou to Dunhuang.

(3) Long-distance bus

National Highway 215 and National Highway 313 pass through Dunhuang. Except for the poor road conditions at Yumen Pass in Dunhuang City, other scenic spots have been paved with asphalt roads, and the highway traffic is relatively convenient. You can take long-distance buses from Dunhuang to Lanzhou, Xi'an, Urumqi, Hami, Turpan, Golmud, Jiuquan and Jiayuguan.

(4) City transportation

There are many bus lines in Dunhuang City, and the minibus fare is 1 yuan. In addition, tourists can also rent a self-portrait car on Mingshan Road for transportation. There are mainly two types of taxis in Dunhuang: Santana and Xiali. Within the urban area, the starting price is generally 5 yuan. Since the Dunhuang Ge Ge scenic spot is not far from the city, tourists can choose to charter a car to go there, which costs about 300 yuan/day.

2. What are the delicacies of Dunhuang?

(1)

Dunhuang has a high taste in food. Now it has developed the three major Dunhuang feasts "Dunhuang" "Dunhuang Banquet", "Dream Dunhuang Banquet" and "Dunhuang Music and Dance Banquet" are even more famous all over the world, filling the gaps in Dunhuang studies on Dunhuang food culture. Each dish has a dance to match.

(2)

Dunhuang snacks are also very rich in types, mainly pasta, and meat is mainly chicken, beef, and mutton. Among them, the local Dunhuang yellow noodles, Dunhuang stuffed skin is very special. Dunhuang Snack Street and Shazhou Night Market on Yangguan East Road are good places to taste Dunhuang characteristics.

3. What are the attractions worth visiting?

1.

Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes: Mogao Grottoes and Thousand Buddha Cave are the first large caves in China. . In the Sutra Cave of the Mogao Grottoes, more than 50,000 scriptures, documents, weavings, portraits, etc. have been unearthed. The Mogao Grottoes murals are a must-see when painting.

Tips:

Transportation: There are minibuses from Dunhuang to Mogao Grottoes. You can also take a van with three or five people at 10 yuan/person. If you stay late at Mogao Grottoes, you can take a minibus that picks up the staff after 18:00 for a fare of 5 yuan.

Tips for traveling

(1) For non-professionals, it is best to read books about the Mogao Grottoes before visiting, otherwise it will be difficult to understand many of the mysteries.

(2) It is best to visit the Mogao Grottoes in the morning when the light is good. If it is at other times, it is best to bring your own flashlight. There are also flashlights for rent at the entrance of the cave.

(3) The cave is usually It is closed. You need to be led by a professional guide to enter during the visit. The whole journey takes about 4 hours. Don't go at noon, because the tour guide takes a break and has to wait there.

(4) It is said that Cave 285 has the best murals in Mogao Grottoes, and Cave 45 has the best stone carvings.

(5) The number of caves open every day in Mogao Grottoes is limited, usually 10-15, and the caves are not open on rainy days.

2. Mingsha Mountain - Crescent Moon Spring

Mingsha Mountain is named after the sound of moving sand. It starts from Mogao Grottoes in the east and ends at Danghe Reservoir at the foot of Foshan Mountain in the west. The entire mountain is made of red, yellow, green, black and white rice-like sand. The sand ridges in the mountains are connected, which is very spectacular. There is a famous landscape "Sha Ling Qing Ming"

Crescent Moon Spring

Crescent Moon Spring is surrounded by Mingsha Mountains. It is named after it resembles a crescent moon. The miraculous thing about it is that it has not dried up for thousands of years, and the quicksand can never fill up the clear spring. On the platform on the south bank of the spring, there were originally a large group of ancient buildings such as the Empress Hall, Dragon King's Palace, Yaowang Cave, Yuquan Tower, and Leiyin Temple.

Tips:

Location: Yueyaquan Mingshan Road, Dunhuang City

Transportation: There are direct minibuses and minibuses in the city, you can also take a taxi or rent a bicycle< /p>

Ticket price: 120 yuan/person in peak season (including Crescent Moon Spring), 60 yuan/person in off-season, 10 yuan/time for sandboarding

Tips for travel

( 1) When sandboarding, you need to be careful. Close your eyes when approaching the bottom of the valley, and don't open your mouth, because the sandboarding bamboo raft will kick up a lot of sand at this time.

(2) After entering Crescent Moon Spring, the large pond on the left is an artificial lake. If you want to go sandboarding alone, you can go up the wooden ladder up the mountain.

(3) You can ride a camel between Mogao Grottoes and Mingsha Mountain. If you travel through it, it will take 2-3 hours. Remember to prepare enough water and food when entering, and bring a compass or GPS

(4) To prevent sand from getting into your shoes, you must bring sunscreen, masks and other essential items

3. Yangguan and Yumenguan

a.

< p>The Yangguan ruins and the former Yangguan city tower have long since disappeared, and now only a beacon tower on Dundun Mountain in the north still stands proudly. There is a large beach with no end in sight to the south of the mountain. There is also an intermittent castle wall foundation nearby that is only 0.6 meters high. This is the Yangguan ruins.

b.

Yumen Pass Site, Yumen Pass was one of the two passes on the western frontier in the Han Dynasty. The existing city walls are well preserved, generally square in shape, and made entirely of yellow clay. There is a gate on the west wall and a door on the north wall respectively. There is a large east-west driveway under the northern slope of the city, which was the historical route for communication and postage between countries in the Central Plains and the Western Regions.

Tips: There are no buses to Yangguan, Yumenguan, Wowachi and other places. You must charter a bus or take a ride there. The road conditions are acceptable and ordinary vans can handle it. It usually costs about 150 yuan to rent a car to Yangguan, including going to Wowachi. Going to Yumenguan is more expensive and costs about 200 yuan. If you rent a car to go to Yumen Pass, it is best to ask a local guide to lead the way. Since it is all in the desert, you need to avoid getting lost.

4. Yadan National Geopark (Devil City)

It is the largest Yadan landform discovered in China. Whenever a strong wind blows, the sound of the wind here is like the howling of ghosts and wolves, which makes people feel chilly. There are city walls, streets, buildings, churches, sculptures, etc. in this landform. Many famous buildings in the world can be found here in miniature.

Tips

You will usually spend a day in Yadan, so be sure to bring enough water and food. It's very windy here, so be careful to protect your skin and belongings. Essential items: sunglasses, scarf or hat.

4. When is the best time to travel to Dunhuang?

The best season to travel to Dunhuang is from May to October. Dunhuang is located in northwest China. The four seasons change significantly. The temperature is low from November to April, making it not suitable for tourism. Winter and spring are windy and sandy, so the scenic spot is open all year round.

5. Will there be altitude sickness in Dunhuang?

Dunhuang is 1,139 meters above sea level. Scientists call an altitude above 3,000 meters a plateau. There is no plateau in the range of 1,000 to 2,000 meters. reaction (except in special circumstances). It's generally fine in Dunhuang, but be careful if you bring the elderly.

Is it better to go to Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring in the morning or in the afternoon?

It is recommended to get up early in the morning to watch the sunrise. The sunrise at Mingsha Mountain is more spectacular. Generally, it will be sunny starting at 9 or 10 o'clock. If you don't want to see the sunrise, it is not recommended to go there in the morning. Usually you go to see the sunset at 5 or 6 pm. The temperature in the desert will start to drop and you can also see the sunset.

Conclusion:

Gobi, ruins, distant isolated cities, green streets in oasis, what a profound and poetic western scenery. There is no eternity, no immortality, there is just our memory of history, transformed into a few simple lines of text in the annals of history, indifferent with time and hazy with the years.