Winter travel in Dunhuang, combining fun and learning, can help kids catch up on multiple subjects

- Chinese: Appreciation of frontier poems, such as Wang Wei’s “I urge you to drink another cup of wine; west of Yangguan there are no old friends,” Wang Zhihuan’s “The spring wind does not pass Yumen Pass,” Wang Changling’s “The long clouds over Qinghai darken the snowy mountains, a lonely city gazes toward Yumen Pass. After a hundred battles in the yellow sand, wearing golden armor, I will not return without breaking Loulan,” and Dai Shulun’s “I wish to serve my country for life, no need to be born into Yumen Pass,” etc. “The Song of the Xiongnu”: “Without my Yanzhi Mountain, my women lose their color. Without my Qilian Mountain, my livestock do not breed.” The Western Jin dynasty mural brick tombs on Dunhuang’s east route excited my child so much he almost crawled into a tomb raider’s cave, and afterward re-read “The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles.” - History: Hexi Corridor, Zhang Qian and Ban Chao’s missions to the Western Regions, the opening of the Silk Road, Qin and Han dynasties’ governance of the Western Regions (legendary stories of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing), the four commanderies of Hexi, the Protectorate of the Western Regions, the construction of the Ming Great Wall, Mogao Caves and the spread of Buddhism eastward, the Silk Road, the modern excavation of the “Library Cave” at Mogao, and the subsequent plundering by foreign powers, loss and recovery of cultural relics. - Geography: Yellow River, Qilian Mountains, Hexi Corridor’s “two mountains flanking a river” and “four commanderies, guarded by two passes.” Various landforms: Danxia landforms (Lanzhou Ink Danxia, Zhangye Rainbow Danxia), Yardang landforms (Dunhuang West Line Yardang Park), Gobi desert oasis, alpine meadows and snowy mountains. Special climate: In winter, you can often encounter sandstorms and snowy days. - Art: The line work, colors, and carving art of the murals in Mogao and Yulin Caves, the architectural layout and defensive design aesthetics of Jiayuguan Fortress. - Philosophy: The ancient “Silk Road” and the contemporary “Belt and Road Initiative.” - Science and Technology: If you visit the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, you can also tell your child about the history and knowledge of aerospace development! Suggested itinerary: Day 1: Lanzhou. Gansu Provincial Museum - Yellow River Iron Bridge (Zhongshan Bridge) - Baita Mountain Park - Lanshan Santai Pavilion (night view); Day 2: Lanzhou. Lanzhou Ink Danxia Scenic Area - Dunhuang Art Gallery - Lanzhou University - Lanzhou Station (overnight sleeper train to Jiayuguan); Day 3: (Xianyu car rental 220 per day including pick-up and drop-off) Jiayuguan, Overhanging Great Wall, First Pier (about 3 hours by high-speed train to Dunhuang); Day 4: (Next 3 days Xianyu car rental total 850) Dunhuang: Mogao Caves, Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring; Day 5: Dunhuang West Line (Western Thousand Buddha Caves, Yangguan Pass, Yumen Pass, Yardang Park); Day 6: Dunhuang East Line (Western Jin mural brick tombs, Suoyang City, Yulin Caves, “Emperor Wu of Han” & “Son of the Earth” & “Boundless” sculptures), evening watch “Le Dong Dunhuang” (Xianyu ticket 175 per person); (thus ends the 3-day car rental) Day 7: Leiyin Temple, Dunhuang Bookstore. Return trip.