| |
|
| Home-->China City Guide-Dunhuang City Guide |
| Dunhuang Travel Guide |
| Dunhuang, as an important strategic point on the Silk Road, played a pivotal role for East-West cultural and trade exchanges in ancient times. Dunhuang Grottoes is a veritable world-class treasure house of art. The discovery of Tripitaka Cave at Dunhuang 100 years ago unveiled one of mankind's important disciplines of learning: Dunhuang studies. Some of the other wonders in Dunhuang City like Echoing-Sand Mountain (Mingshashan) and Crescent Moon Spring are found south of Dunhuang, while to the north there is Yumen Pass on the Great Wall. |
| Mogao Caves | Lanhzou | | also named "Thousand-Buddha Caves", located on the cliff of The Mingsha Mountain, about 25km southeast of the Dunhuang Town. Praised as "a glittering pearl that adorns the Silk Road", Mogao Caves are Buddhism treasure trove of art with a longstanding history of over 1600 years. Mogao Caves have 735 caves, which house 45, 000 square meters of murals and more than 2400 painted sculptures. Hence the Mogao Grottoes can be ranked as the best preserved and the largest treasure trove of Buddhism arts not only in China but also in the world. In 1991, they were listed as a "worldwide cultural heritage" by UNESCO. |
the capital of Gansu Province with 2,000-year history and. a major stop on the ancient "Silk Road" west of Xian. Lanzhou was a significant fortress of the Hexi Corridor, an eastern and crucial stretch of the Silk Road, which led to a long period of great prosperity in the city. Major attractions: Green Corridor along Binhe Road, five Spring Mountain, White Pagoda Mountain, Sun Yat-sen Bridge, Waterwheel Garden, Sculptures of the Mother River, Lanshan Mountain, Qiaomen Mosque, Sand-gravel land form at Tianfusha Palace |
| Crescent-Moon Spring (Yueya Spring) | Echoing-Sand Mountain (Mingshashan) |
| Near the Echoing-Sand Mountain, it is 100 meters in height, 25 meters in width, and in the shape of a crescent moon. The area is often hit by windstorm, which drives up sand to shut out sun-light. However, Crescent-Moon Spring has never been filled up with or covered by sand. |
It is one of the wonders in Dunhuang City. When tourists climb up or slide down the mountain, the rolling sands make different sounds, some like orchestral music, and others like thunder. A wonderful view across the rolling desert sands towards the oasis comes to your sight after reach the top. |
| Bingling Temple | Gansu Museum | | It is one of the ten largest Chinese grottoes. Originally engraved in the year 420, Bingling Temple contains 183 grottoes and shrines stretching for two kilometers. All of the stone carvings, clay sculptures, and murals exhibit superb craftsmanship, and have great artistic appeal. | Located south of Qili River, Lanzhou, displays the social mores of many ethnic groups during different periods of Chinese history. It contains more than 80,000 artifacts including Neolithic painted pottery that was excavated from the town of Dadiwan, whose ancient civilization is believed to span back some 7,000 years. |
|
