[2025 Dunhuang ] Travel Guide for Dunhuang Theater (Updated May)

Hey ladies! I just got back from Dunhuang and I can't wait to share this amazing itinerary! Three days of exploring ancient civilizations and stunning desert landscapes gave me goosebumps the whole time 😭 (Check out the tips at the end to avoid tourist traps). 🚗Itinerary: Day 1: Mogao Caves + Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring ⏰9:00 am–12:00 pm: Mogao Caves 🎫Tickets: CNY 238 (includes the Digital Display Center) ⚠Must-see: The giant Buddha statue in Cave 96! Look up at a 45-degree angle to see the 35-meter-tall Maitreya Buddha. The flying apsaras on the murals look like they're about to fly down—instant goosebumps! I recommend renting an audio guide (CNY 10) to hear the stories behind each cave. ⏰4:00 pm–8:00 pm: Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Spring 🎫Tickets: CNY 110 (valid for 3 days) 🔥Must-do: Ride a camel at sunset! Choose the 5:00 pm slot (CNY 200/person). The silhouettes of the camel train are breathtaking. Make sure to walk to the viewing platform at Crescent Moon Spring for a stunning view of the sand and spring—it'll make you forget all your worries. 💡Hidden gem: Capture star trails on the sand dunes after dark! Bring a tripod and flashlight, and set your phone to Professional mode with a 30-second exposure. The Milky Way will be at your fingertips. Day 2: Yumen Pass + Yadan Devil City ⏰8:30 am–10:00 am: Yumen Pass 🎫Tickets: CNY 40 (includes the Han Great Wall) Standing in front of the ruins of Xiaofangpan City, you can almost hear Wang Changling's poem, "Spring wind does not pass Yumen Pass." I recommend wearing a red dress for some stunning photos with a sense of solitude. ⏰12:00 pm–4:00 pm: Yadan National Geological Park 🎫Tickets: CNY 120 (includes sightseeing bus) 🌋Must-sees: Sphinx and the West Sea Fleet! The last stop on the sightseeing bus is the sunset viewing platform. When the setting sun paints the Yadan landscape gold, remember to take a video. The sound of the wind and the sand is incredible. 🍜Food recommendation: Donkey meat with yellow noodles at the night market! CNY 50 per serving. The chewy yellow noodles paired with the special donkey meat broth is heavenly. Day 3: Dunhuang Grand Theatre—"A Thousand Hands and A Thousand Eyes" ⏰7:30 pm–9:00 pm: Show 🎫Tickets: CNY 298 (book one week in advance) 💃🏻Must-see: Holographic projections + live performance. When 3,000 virtual Buddha statues rise from the sky, you won't be able to hold back your tears. After the show, you can take photos with the actors backstage (make a reservation via WeChat). 📸Photo tips: ✅Use your phone's flash to capture details inside the Mogao Caves (be careful not to touch the murals). ✅Wear a white dress and a red shawl at Mingsha Mountain, and take action shots while running on the dunes. ✅Use a wide-angle lens and shoot upwards at Yadan to make your legs look super long. ✅Take photos of the theatre's exterior before the "A Thousand Hands and A Thousand Eyes" show begins—the light show is magical. ⚠Tips to avoid tourist traps: ❌Don't buy apricot juice at the scenic spots! The freshly brewed ones at the night market are only CNY 5 and much more authentic. ❌Don't wear expensive jewelry while riding a camel, as the sand can scratch it. ❌Book Mogao Caves tickets 15 days in advance on the official website, as they often sell out. ❌The temperature in the desert fluctuates greatly, so bring a light down jacket. Now is the perfect time to visit—fewer crowds and beautiful scenery! If you've read this far, book your tickets now. Dunhuang's beauty is worth traveling across China for 🚀

| Watch "Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes". Entering the Dunhuang Grand Theater, the sacred artistic atmosphere hits your face🕍. At the beginning of the performance, the brilliant lights intertwined, and the actors appeared one after another, instantly taking me into the legendary Dunhuang story for a thousand years. (Due to the maintenance of the Grand Theater, the performance will be suspended for two days on September 2/9.3) This drama is inspired by the elements of the Mogao Grottoes murals and tells the touching folk story of "Miao Shan saved his father" who transformed into "Avalokitesvara with Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes"📜. The story takes place at the desert border of Dunhuang. Miaoshan's father and fellow villagers are troubled by strange diseases. The kind-hearted Miaoshan is not afraid of hardships and goes through many ups and downs. Finally, she finds the crescent fish grass and the colorful peacock feathers. She uses her own hands to His eyes were replaced by the Avalokitesvara Avalokitesvara with Thousand Arms and Thousand Eyes, and he successfully saved his father and fellow villagers💕. The artists of the China Disabled People’s Art Troupe are simply amazing👍! Although they were physically handicapped, they showed unparalleled perfection in art. Through their rich and exquisite artistic vocabulary and the emotional power of boundless love, they brought us a feast with distinctive Dunhuang characteristics, profound humanistic empathy, and unique artistic aesthetics🥂. 🕙The performance time is 20:30-21:45 every night, don’t miss it! 🎫Tickets range from 298 to 698, and there are also various preferential policies (high school and college entrance examination graduates can purchase discounted tickets for 150 yuan/person with their admission tickets; residents of Jiujia area can enjoy 98 yuan/person with their ID cards) ; Disabled people can exchange tickets for free with their disability certificates; short video creators with more than 30,000 fans can exchange tickets for free with new media accounts). If you come to Dunhuang, be sure not to miss this performance of "Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes". It will leave you with an unforgettable memory and make your trip to Dunhuang more exciting🎊!

✨Dear friends, you must recommend the Dunhuang Grand Theatre's 'Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye' to everyone. It's truly stunning and there are many reasons why it's a must-see. 💃Artistic Feast: This performance is an unparalleled artistic feast. The colorful stage design makes you feel like you've traveled to ancient Dunhuang. Every scene is breathtakingly beautiful, and any casual shot looks like a masterpiece. 👯‍♀️Exquisite Performance: The performances by the actors of the 'China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe' are extraordinary. Their graceful dance moves and expressive faces vividly portray the essence of the Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye Guanyin. Their professionalism and dedication immerse the audience completely. (This troupe is a national-level team, led by Tai Lihua, who brought this dance to the Spring Festival Gala in 2005, making 'Thousand-Hand Guanyin' a household name. The dancers are all hearing-impaired, and the vocalists are visually impaired.) 📜Cultural Heritage: 'Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye' carries the profound culture of Dunhuang. Through this performance, you can deeply understand the history, art, and religion of Dunhuang and feel the charm of ancient culture. 🌈Visual Impact: The seamless coordination of lighting and sound effects brings a strong visual and auditory impact to the audience. The grand scenes make you feel like you're in a mythical world. 💕A Must-See in a Lifetime: If you come to Dunhuang, don't miss 'Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye'. It's a once-in-a-lifetime performance that will leave you with unforgettable memories. ✨Performance Information Venue: Dunhuang Grand Theatre (2713 Wenbo East Road, Dunhuang City, Gansu Province) Showtime: Every night at 20:30 Ticket Prices: B Area 298 | A Area 318 | VIP Area 398 | Supreme Area 698

Don't miss this spectacular 'Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes' performance when you come to Dunhuang! The large-scale situational music and painting drama 'Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes' is produced by the China Disabled People's Art Troupe, touring ten cities nationwide and the Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan regions, and performing in countries such as the United States and Japan to strengthen cultural exchanges and promote Dunhuang culture abroad. This drama has received widespread acclaim. Fan Jinshi, honorary director of the Dunhuang Academy, watched the performance and gave it high praise; many well-known individuals and organizations also came to watch. The truth, goodness, and beauty conveyed by the performance and the spirit of self-challenge and dream-pursuing demonstrated by the disabled actors have received unanimous praise. 🕙 Performance Time: Every night Performance Venue: Dunhuang Grand Theatre 🎫 Ticket Price: 298-698 yuan 🌟 Performance Background: 'Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes' is inspired by the murals of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang. It tells the story of Miaoshan, whose ancestors migrated to the border of the Dunhuang desert. To save her father and fellow villagers suffering from the strange disease 'human face sores,' she went through many hardships and finally found the Crescent Moon Fish Grass and the Peacock's Seven-Colored Feathers with great courage, perseverance, and wisdom. She exchanged her own ears and eyes, the 'six roots,' for the Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes Guanyin image, curing her father and fellow villagers. 🌈 Reasons to Watch: 1️⃣ The performance is rich in Dunhuang characteristics, vividly showcasing the charm of Dunhuang culture, allowing you to deeply appreciate its historical flavor. 2️⃣ The actors are highly skilled, the performance is spectacular, and the stage design and music are stunning, providing an ultimate audio-visual enjoyment. 3️⃣ The plot is touching, interpreting the legend of the Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes Guanyin, allowing you to deeply feel its compassionate power, bringing shock and purification to the soul. Families with children should not miss it, as it has profound educational significance. 🎁 Discount Policies: 1️⃣ Middle and high school students can buy tickets for only 150 yuan each with their admission ticket. 2️⃣ Disabled friends can watch the performance for free with their disability certificate. 3️⃣ Friends from the Jiuquan area, including the Qinghai Oilfield area, can buy tickets for 98 yuan each with their local ID card. 4️⃣ Short video creators with more than 30,000 followers can also exchange a ticket for free based on their account. 📝 Notes: 1️⃣ Please arrange your travel time in advance to avoid missing the wonderful opening. 2️⃣ Please keep quiet during the performance and respect the actors and other audience members. 3️⃣ Please sit in the designated area according to the ticket and watch the performance in an orderly manner. If you have the opportunity to go to Dunhuang, you might as well enjoy this unique performance and feel the shock and emotion it brings.

In Dunhuang, a soul-stirring and deeply emotional performance—'Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes' is waiting for you to embark on this journey of art and culture. 'Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes' is the first collaboration between the China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe and the cultural tourism sector. It innovatively tells the touching story of 'Miaoshan Saving Her Father.' Miaoshan, a woman with a heart full of great love, was born in the legendary land of Dunhuang. When a strange illness shrouded her hometown like a dark cloud, and when her father was also suffering from the torment of illness, she did not retreat or hesitate in the slightest. To find the 'Fish Star' herb from the Crescent Spring and the seven-colored feathers of the Peacock Divine Bird, she endured numerous hardships and obstacles. Even if it meant exchanging her own hands and eyes—the 'six roots'—for the thousand hands and thousand eyes of the Guanyin Bodhisattva, she was willing to do so.😖 When the 'Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes' performance begins, the dancers use their agile👯‍♀️, resolute😎, and graceful movements to portray every step of Miaoshan's journey, every struggle, and every deep emotion. The music on stage seems to be extracted from the sound of the wind in the Singing Sand Mountain and the water in the Crescent Spring. Every note is deeply rooted in the soil of Dunhuang culture🎵. The colorful stage costumes draw inspiration from the colors and clothing culture of Dunhuang murals, making us feel as if we are seeing the aesthetics and wisdom of the people who lived on this land thousands of years ago🎨. Every expression😃 and every movement👏 of the actors resonate with the compassion and love conveyed in the only existing Guanyin-themed mural in Mogao Cave 3, 'Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes Guanyin Sutra Transformation.' This performance is not just an artistic presentation; it is a revitalization of the spirit of love💖, dedication🙌, and perseverance in Dunhuang culture. It is the perfect fusion of ancient Dunhuang culture and modern art, a re-sounding of the great love in 'Miaoshan Saving Her Father' through the passage of time🎶. Come to Dunhuang, to experience the cross-temporal, visually and audibly stunning feast brought by 'Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes,' to find the home of your soul, and to discover a deeper respect and love for Dunhuang culture🥰.

The China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe passionately presents the large-scale situational musical drama "Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes," taking you back to Dunhuang, with performances stationed in Dunhuang. The actors use their agile bodies and heartfelt performances to showcase the vastness and depth of love. Every movement, every glance, conveys selfless great love, as if it can transcend time and space, warming the hearts of every audience member. In this performance, you will see countless hands converging into an ocean of love, countless eyes shining with the light of hope. This is a visual feast about love and dedication, allowing us to feel the power of great love through the baptism of art. 🎭Performance Venue: Dunhuang Grand Theater 🕙Performance Time: Every night at 20:30 👯‍♂️Performing Team: China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe 🌟Performance Highlights: The dance movements in this drama draw inspiration from the artistic images and historical charm displayed in the murals of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, possessing both the soul of traditional dance and the form of modern dance. For example, the dance postures of the Thousand-Handed Guanyin and the agile steps of the Vajra Warriors allow people to feel the beautiful rhythm of traditional Chinese dance and the ingenious collision of long-standing historical imprints. Additionally, modern stage techniques and lighting technology are used, with elements such as lighting changes, sound effects, and stage design creating a fantastical world on stage. Especially in the final scene where the "Thousand-Handed Guanyin" appears, modern sound and light effects and 3D projection technology are used, combined with the forward and backward movement of the stage, forming a tunnel that transcends time and space, bringing the audience a grand and magnificent stage experience. In Dunhuang, this "Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes" performance is definitely a visual feast you cannot miss! Come and feel the charm of millennia-old culture!💖

After watching the performance of 'Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed' by the China Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe, it was truly shocking. Watching the Dunhuang 'Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed' performance was incredibly impressive. The dancers' graceful postures showcased the charm of Dunhuang. Especially the scene of Miaoshan saving her father, the emotions were sincere and touching, making people feel the power of compassion and kindness. The music and dance were perfectly coordinated, as if immersed in the long river of history, it was an unforgettable artistic feast. This 'Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed' performance, which is in no way inferior to other famous performances, is not widely known. 💖Performance Information 🌵Tickets: 298-698r 🌵Performance Time: 20:30-21:45, approximately 75 minutes Performance Venue: Dunhuang Grand Theatre (No. 2713, Wenbo East Road, Crescent Spring Town, Dunhuang City, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province) 💖Real Feelings of 'Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed' ❶The whole performance gives the feeling of a perfect blend of traditional art and modern stage presentation, as if entering a magical world. ❷The part with the scholar holding a paper fan is full of elegance, with the scholars holding paper fans, showing the grace and demeanor of literati in their every move. ❸The scene of Miaoshan saving her father is deeply moving, with the actors' wonderful performances showcasing the greatness of family affection and the power of compassion. ❹The performance of the Thousand-Handed Guanyin is heart-shocking, with the dancers' movements in perfect unison, the extension and contraction of countless arms displaying unparalleled beauty and solemnity. ❺The Dunhuang musical instrument performers were impressive, their superb skills winning thunderous applause from the audience. ❻The charm of Dunhuang culture displayed throughout the performance is captivating, deeply feeling the profound and unique flavor of traditional culture. 🌿Nearby Attractions It is not far from Crescent Spring and Mogao Caves. After the performance, you can take a stroll around Crescent Spring to feel the beauty of the oasis in the desert, and then go to Mogao Caves to appreciate the thousand-year-old murals. This will be a perfect Dunhuang cultural experience trip.

Dear treasures, if you come to Dunhuang, you must not miss the heart-stirring performance of 'Thousand Hands, Thousand Eyes'! 💥Performance Highlights: 🎈A spectacular stage presentation that seems to transport you through a thousand years, witnessing that sacred scene with your own eyes. 🎈It brings together top-notch dance choreography, exquisite stage design, and soul-stirring music, offering a comprehensive artistic feast. 🎈It deeply showcases the charm of Dunhuang culture, allowing you to appreciate the profound heritage and unique charm of a millennium-old culture, serving as a vivid inheritance of traditional culture. Performance Venue: Dunhuang Grand Theater ⏰Show Time: Every evening at 20:30 🎫Ticket Guide: There are four sections: A/B/VIIP/Supreme. You can purchase tickets online or on-site according to different needs, but it is recommended to book in advance to avoid missing out on good seats. ❗Important Notes: 🎯Arrive fifteen minutes early to avoid rushing and missing the opening, as well as disturbing others. 🎯During the show, set electronic devices to silent mode so that everyone can immerse themselves in the performance. 🎯Take good care of personal belongings, especially in crowded situations, to prevent loss. 🌈Watching a 'Thousand Hands, Thousand Eyes' performance will make your journey even more unforgettable! Come and experience this unique charm!💕

🎉Dear friends, are you ready? On June 8th, the grand situational music and painting drama 'Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes' will return to the Dunhuang Grand Theatre with a brand-new look, the strongest lineup, and the best effects! 🎉 🌟 'Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes' is inspired by the Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes Avalokitesvara transformation mural in the Mogao Caves. It innovatively tells the folk tale of 'Miao Shan saving her father' through the performances of 50 hearing-impaired dancers and visually impaired musicians and singers, using music, dance, and multimedia. 🎵 📸 The stage design of the play is stunningly beautiful, creating a dreamlike world that immerses the audience. The actors' performances are unparalleled, portraying each character with such depth that the audience can deeply feel the emotional fluctuations. 🎭 🌈 In addition, the incredibly powerful sound effects and lighting further enhance the atmosphere to the extreme, touching the audience's hearts time and again. Here, you can profoundly appreciate the vastness and depth of Buddhist culture, and feel the soul-deep shock and emotion, truly a rare spiritual baptism! 💕 Performance venue: Dunhuang Grand Theatre 📅 Performance time: Starting from June 8th, every night at 20:30, with an additional 15:30 show during the peak tourist season (subject to the schedule released on the day). 🎫 Ticket price: 298 yuan - 698 yuan Don't miss the spectacular 'Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes' performance! On June 8th, let's head to the Dunhuang Grand Theatre together. In that palace of art, we will encounter the legend of Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes, embark on an unforgettable cultural journey, create our unique memories, and witness this artistic miracle together! Dunhuang·Jiuquan Dunhuang Grand Theatre Gansu·China

Dunhuang Dance - is a new type of dance faction created by the artists of the Gansu Provincial Song and Dance Troupe after their inspiration from Dunhuang murals. A large number of dance movements in Dunhuang dance imitate and restore the shape of Dunhuang murals, and strive to restore the essence of Chinese culture in the form of dance. The most classic "rebound" is from the 112th Grotto of Mogao Grottoes. The women's hands are bounced and rebounded. The original "S"-shaped dance poses the elegance and charm of oriental women to the extreme. It is called "alive." Dunhuang Murals". The rebound is also an iconic logo of Dunhuang.