Journey to Dunhuang – ride, pray and love

Located in Northwest China's Gansu province, Dunhuang is famous for being a religious and cultural crossing point.

The city is home to several world-renowned tourist attractions such as Echoing-Sand Mountain (Mingsha Mountain), Crescent Lake (Yueya Quan) and the world heritage-listed Mogao Grottoes.

In Dunhuang, tourists can ride camels in the desert, view the breathtaking scenery and experience the treasures of Buddhist art.

Dunhuang has witnessed the ups and downs of history and as a result is abundant with precious cultural artifacts. The Mogao Grottoes, also known as the One-Thousand-Buddha Grottoes, has the world's largest and oldest collection of Buddhist art.

In recent years, Dunhuang city has undertaken various measures to boost tourism, for example, tickets to the Mogao Grottoes have been discounted during the off season, Gansu offers a tax refund to inbound travelers, and Dunhuang Airport has added new flights.

Sitting on the ancient Silk Road, Dunhuang has played an important role in connecting China with Middle and West Asia and Europe in ancient times. The city has seen silk, china, jewelry and even aircraft pass through on its way west.

Nowadays, Dunhuang has continued to develop at an impressive pace, giving renewed significance to its name, which means to flourish and prosper in Chinese.

Edited by Owen Fishwick