Thought Egypt was already beautiful enough, until I went to Dunhuang…
After a trip to Dunhuang, my social media was flooded with questions!!
Not losing to foreign countries, Dunhuang really is a treasure city 🥹🥹
"Dun, meaning great; Huang, meaning prosperous."
This land carries the glory of the Silk Road.
We stroll through the yellow sands, appreciating the profound millennia-old culture.
Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring, Mogao Caves, Heritage City—
there’s always one that will meet your expectations.
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🐫 Itinerary reference
D1 Dunhuang airport pickup - desert camp activities + customized dinner
D2 Mogao Caves - Dunhuang Bookstore - "See Dunhuang Again" performance
D3 Yumen Pass - Yadan Devil City off-road adventure
D4 Yangguan Pass - clay tablet painting experience - Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring
D5 Dunhuang Museum - return trip
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🔥 Must-visit attractions
📍#MogaoCaves
Fewer people in the off-season, avoid crowds, see 12 caves + 2 digital films at once!
📍#MingshaMountainCrescentSpring
An oasis in the desert, a crescent moon embedded in the vast desert, truly breathtaking!!
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📍#YadanDevilCity
Unique Yadan landforms in the Northwest, perfect for shooting wild luxury desert photos!
📍#DunhuangMuseum
Houses a large collection of precious cultural relics and historical materials, a great place to learn about Dunhuang’s history and culture.
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👀 Desert fun activities
✔️ Limited A tickets for Mogao Caves, 8 caves guided tour + movie all in one
✔️ "See Dunhuang Again" performance, a must-see in Dunhuang ✨
✔️ Jeep tour through Devil City, the Northwest Yadan landforms are stunning!
✔️ Camel riding + ATV off-road sand racing 🐫 private camp with no queues
✔️ Clay tablet painting, a local traditional intangible cultural heritage
✔️ Independent in-depth lecture at Yangguan Pass, deeply understand local culture
✔️ Customized desert wild feast, enjoy the scenery while tasting border delicacies
✔️ Dunhuang Bookstore like Zhang Yixing’s 📚 lots of cultural and creative products to choose from!!
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🍜【Foodie must-see|Northwest cuisine no-fail list】
🍝 Top 3 must-eats:
Donkey meat yellow noodles: Shunzhang Old Shop (Yangguan Middle Road) small portion 20 RMB, noodles so chewy they "dance," donkey meat stew so fragrant you’ll lick the bowl!
Apricot peel water: Daji Noodle House 5 RMB/cup, Li Guang apricot brewed sweet and sour iced drink, 100 times better than milk tea for cutting greasiness~
Red willow grilled meat: Shazhou Night Market "Old Ma’s stall" 10 RMB/skewer, lamb with willow wood aroma, remember to eat with naan bread
🧋 Hidden eats:
Donkey meat pizza (Tuolingge Restaurant 68 RMB): thin crust topped with donkey meat bits, surprisingly delicious fusion of East and West!
Paor oil cake (5 RMB each): crispy outside, soft inside dessert, filled with rose sesame paste, a must-try for girls~
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🚗 Transportation guide
Within the city: taxis are convenient, low starting fare, taxi between attractions about 20-30 RMB.
Mogao Caves: 25 km from city center, can take taxi (about 25 RMB) or bus.
West Line: Yangguan Pass, Yumen Pass recommended to rent a car or hire a driver (about 500-600 RMB/day), convenient and comfortable.
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🏨 Hotel recommendations
📍#DongyiDunhuangHotel (Desert wild luxury)
The hotel style is a very high-end wild luxury desert wabi-sabi, somewhat like a modern version of Longmen Inn, with horizontal and vertical architectural style, everywhere light and shadow like art.
📍#DunhuangBiyueHotel (Desert oasis)
Located in Qili Town, Dunhuang, adjacent to Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring, backed by the vast yellow sands of Mingsha Mountain on one side and facing thousands of acres of green grape oasis 🍇 perfectly presenting the meaning of "wild oasis, desert garden."
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💡【Tips】
1️⃣ Large temperature difference between day and night: sunrise is late in March, remember to add clothes, warmest from 3-7 pm
2️⃣ Dryness warning: face and head easily dry and peel, bring masks, body lotion, face cream, and other moisturizing essentials; sunglasses for sun protection
3️⃣ Convenient transportation: taxis in the city are easy and cheap, car rental or driver hire available for west and east lines
4️⃣ Photo outfit: bring clothes with high color saturation for better photos