The Great Northwest started gaining popularity last summer, and I naturally couldn’t resist the urge to visit.
However, my busy schedule and limited time didn’t allow for a 6-7 day long trip to the northwest. So, I focused on shorter destinations like Dunhuang and Zhongwei, which are perfect for 4 days and 3 nights, or even 3 days and 2 nights.
If you have limited vacation days but still want to explore the Great Northwest, consider these two destinations.
Today, let’s talk about Dunhuang.
You’ve been anticipating the Great Northwest for a long time, and it’s finally here! When it comes to travel guides, I don’t like to speculate. I can’t fabricate information about a place I haven’t visited.
But once I’ve been there, I’m good at summarizing my experiences.
I often chat with locals to learn about the best itineraries, activities, and dining options.
Gansu’s place names are quite poetic: Jiuquan, Zhangye, Wuwei, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Tianshui, Longnan… all beautiful names.
Dunhuang is no exception. “Dun” means great, and “Huang” means prosperous. Known for its extensive connections with the Western Regions, Dunhuang has always been renowned. From its inception, this city was destined for greatness.
Dunhuang has a rich history.
It boasts a thousand-year-old hidden scripture cave, a two-thousand-year-old Mogao Grottoes, and the seven-thousand-year-old Silk Road.
During the Han Dynasty, Dunhuang was a crucial point on the Silk Road. Zhang Qian’s diplomatic missions to the Western Regions and Huo Qubing’s battles against the Xiongnu were both connected to Dunhuang.
In the Tang Dynasty, Xuanzang set off from Chang’an, passed through Liangzhou, and exited through Yumen Pass between Guazhou and Dunhuang, enduring hardships to reach India.
…
Dunhuang has been quite popular in recent years, and the entire Great Northwest is trending.
I was chatting with a friend from Spring Airlines yesterday, and she mentioned that flights from Hangzhou to Lanzhou are almost fully booked until November, with only scattered tickets available because they sell out quickly.
Lanzhou is often the first stop in the Great Northwest, and most travelers heading there will also visit Dunhuang.
Must-Visit Attractions in Dunhuang:
The main attractions in Dunhuang are the Mogao Grottoes and the Crescent Lake at Mingsha Mountain.
Mogao Grottoes need no introduction, do they? With 735 caves, 2,415 painted sculptures, 45,000 square meters of murals, and over 70,000 volumes of documents…
And then there’s the regrettable Cangjingdong (Caves of the Hidden Scriptures).
As Ji Xianlin (a master of Oriental studies) put it: “There are only four cultural systems in the world with a long history, vast territory, independent systems, and profound influence: China, India, Greece, and Islam. There is no fifth. And there is only one place where these four cultural systems converge, which is Dunhuang in China, and there is no second.”
So when you visit Dunhuang, you can skip other places, but the Mogao Grottoes are a must-visit.
To visit the Mogao Grottoes, you need to book in advance. The regular ticket includes access to 8 caves plus two digital movies (238 yuan), but the emergency ticket only allows you to see 4 caves without the digital movies (100 yuan). If you try to buy tickets on the same day, you might not even get the emergency tickets.
You can purchase tickets directly through the WeChat mini-program [Mogao Grottoes Visit Reservation Website], which is quite straightforward.
After visiting the Mogao Grottoes, don’t rush back; several exhibition halls and food halls are also worth visiting.
Basically, a visit to the Mogao Grottoes will take up most of your day, especially if you have the regular ticket.
After visiting the Mogao Grottoes, you will likely feel that it’s not enough, as even the regular ticket only allows you to see 8 caves. If you want to see more, you can visit Digital Dunhuang (e-dunhuang.com).
This is the digital archive of the Dunhuang Grottoes, where you can clearly see every cave in Dunhuang, and some even support VR, which basically allows you to experience it as if you were there.
Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake are another must-visit spots in Dunhuang besides the Mogao Grottoes.
This is an oasis in the desert, shaped like a crescent moon.
You can ride camels at Mingsha Mountain. The popular meme last October about the Huns advancing into Central China originated from here.
If you find the camels too slow, you can rent an all-terrain vehicle.
Actually, Mingsha Mountain is best viewed from the sky. Spending 480 yuan to take a powered hang glider offers a superb view of Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake from above. Unfortunately, you can’t take your phone up, so no photos.
For the wealthy, a helicopter ride would be even more exhilarating.
Mingsha Mountain is also great for wearing bright clothes and taking travel photos. A Hanfu or Feitian costume photoshoot in the desert should be quite impressive. I saw many groups of girls taking photos there.
Recommended Itinerary for Dunhuang
When visiting Dunhuang, I suggest a 3-day, 2-night, or 4-day, 3-night trip. This allows for a more comfortable experience.
Dunhuang has a total of four routes, each taking one day.
Dunhuang Main Line: Mogao Grottoes – Crescent Lake at Mingsha Mountain – Dunhuang Museum – Leiyin Temple – Western Jin Dynasty Tomb with Murals
Dunhuang West Line: West Thousand Buddha Caves (can be skipped if you’ve visited the Mogao Grottoes) – Yangguan – Yumen Pass – Han Great Wall – Hecang City – Yadan Geological Park (Yadan reopened on June 23rd)
Dunhuang East Line: East Thousand Buddha Caves (can be skipped if you’ve visited the Mogao Grottoes) – Sculpture of “Son of the Earth” – Suoyang City – Yulin Cave
Dunhuang North Line: Mengke Glacier – Akesai Film Base (location for filming “The Demon’s Tomb”)
If time is extremely tight, stick to the Dunhuang Main Line, as all attractions on this line are within or near Dunhuang City, and can be easily reached by taxi.
Apart from the Mogao Grottoes and Crescent Lake, Leiyin Temple and the Dunhuang Museum are highly recommended. Both attractions are free of charge.
Leiyin Temple features a grand hall with tens of thousands of Buddha statues, densely packed. I didn’t count them, but they are numerous.
The Dunhuang Museum should be your first stop, as it provides the foundational knowledge of the entire Dunhuang. After visiting here, a trip to the Mogao Grottoes will make much more sense.
A thorough visit to the Dunhuang Museum can take up a half-day.
If you have two full days, the Dunhuang West Line is also worth exploring. This line mainly includes Yumen Pass, Yangguan, and Hecang City.
The current Yumen Pass is just a small square fortress. The pass is ultimately desolate, drawing visitors partly due to the phrase “The spring breeze does not reach Yumen Pass.”
Yangguan, on the other hand, is famous for Wang Wei’s line “No old friends beyond Yangguan.” In reality, ancient fortresses were not as grand and majestic as imagined.
The scenery on the Dunhuang West Line is more about the journey itself. Driving through the deserted deserts and Gobi, this experience is unique to the northwest.
The Dunhuang East and North Lines can be skipped if time is limited. Unless you couldn’t get tickets for the Mogao Grottoes, are interested in “The Demon’s Tomb,” or want to take photos at “Son of the Earth.”
“Son of the Earth” is indeed a great spot for photos, making it one of the most popular destinations in Dunhuang on platforms like Xiaohongshu.
Images from Xiaohongshu bloggers:
– “San San Far Away”
– “QD Needs to Work Harder”
The Akesai Film Base was originally Akesai Town, which was relocated due to environmental reasons.
The old town was gradually forgotten, so the buildings and slogans still reflect the 1990s, with a sense of decay. It gained some attention again due to film shoots.
If you’ve watched “West Wind Fierce” or “The Demon’s Tomb” and want to experience the movie scenes, you might consider visiting here.
There are three performances in Dunhuang: “Meet Dunhuang,” “Dunhuang Festival,” and “Silk Road Flower Rain.”
The difference is that “Meet Dunhuang” is immersive, with five scenes that switch, focusing on the history of Dunhuang and the Mogao Caves.
“Dunhuang Festival” is an outdoor real-scene performance with 360-degree rotating and moving audience seats. The downside is that it only performs at night when it’s dark, and it can be quite cold to watch on non-summer nights.
“Silk Road Flower Rain” is a stage play.
Personally, I recommend “Meet Dunhuang,” and everyone should watch this performance before visiting the Mogao Caves. On one hand, it’s out of personal admiration for the main creator Wang Chaogui, and on the other hand, this immersive performance with scene switching is something I haven’t seen elsewhere. It’s indeed quite spectacular.
Secondly, I recommend “Dunhuang Festival,” as the real-scene viewing is quite stunning.
The least recommended is “Silk Road Flower Rain.” It’s not that it’s not good, but stage plays can be seen anywhere, so there’s no need to go to Dunhuang specifically for this.
In the evening, besides watching performances, the Dunhuang Night Market is also worth visiting. And you can go there multiple times.
The Dunhuang Night Market is divided into three parts: the front is for local specialties, the middle is a food street, and the back is a food stall area.
Recommended Dunhuang foods, such as Hu Yang Braised Pancakes, Donkey Meat with Yellow Noodles, Red Willow Grilled Meat, Dunhuang Kangs, Fermented Glutinous Rice, and Li Guang Apricots… you can find them all here.
The food in Dunhuang is concentrated, good, and not expensive.
Additionally, if you want to see sunrise and sunset, I recommend watching the sunset at Yadan or the sunrise and sunset at Mingsha Mountain. Both places are highly recommended.
“Lonely smoke rises straight in the desert, the long river sets with a round sun.” The sunset in the desert is particularly magnificent.
When is the best time to visit Dunhuang?
From May to November each year is the best time for a Dunhuang trip. During these months, the daylight hours are long. For example, I went in mid-June, and it didn’t start getting dark until 9 pm. It’s a lot of fun to play around.
Of course, don’t miss the time of the three annual meteor showers.
If you go during the off-season, it’s also suitable. The scenery won’t be discounted just because it’s off-season, and hotel prices in Dunhuang are also very cheap during this time. The only downside is that it might be a bit cold.
If you happen to encounter snow, the Mogao Caves and Mingsha Mountain in the snow also have a unique charm.
How to get to Dunhuang?
Dunhuang has an airport, but during the off-season, there are not many direct flights to Dunhuang from within the country. Most flights require a stopover in Lanzhou, Xining, Yinchuan, Xi’an…
Dunhuang has a railway station, with frequent trains traveling between Xi’an, Jiayuguan, and Lanzhou, so taking the train is also an option.
Additionally, if you are on a self-driving tour or a chartered tour, you will pass through Dunhuang if you take the Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop.
You must book your trip to Dunhuang in advance. During the summer, flights from Hangzhou to Dunhuang (with a stopover in Lanzhou) are all sold at full price. The round-trip fare is over 4000 RMB.
This year, the Northwest region, especially during the summer, is extremely popular.
It’s too expensive to go.
Try to avoid the summer season if possible.
As for where to stay in Dunhuang?
There are three local but decent hotels: Dunhuang Mountain Villa, Tianhe Grand Hotel, and Gloria Plaza Hotel.
Dunhuang Mountain Villa is the oldest, built in 1995, but it is indeed quite high-end and luxurious. I had the chance to dine there during my visit to Dunhuang (mainly to see the hotel), and it was much better than I had imagined. I suspect it was because the hotel was renovated in 2018.
Leiyin Temple is across from Dunhuang Mountain Villa, and the Dunhuang Gala performance is nearby.
Tianhe Grand Hotel was built by the richest person in Dunhuang and opened in 2020. The quality is not an issue. Gloria Plaza Hotel was originally a supporting hotel for the Cultural Expo and was initially for reception purposes, but later it also opened up to the market economy.
I highly recommend two places.
The most anticipated is JANGALA, which is part of SLH. SLH, LHW, and Relais & Châteaux really don’t have any bad properties. With SLH, you can also use Hyatt points for redemption.
However, JANGALA’s construction has been delayed, and it is expected to open after the summer, which is also highly anticipated.
The other one is Dunhuang Dongyi, a designer hotel managed by the New Century Group. This hotel has not yet opened and is still in the trial operation phase, so it is not sold through official channels or platforms like Feizhu and Ctrip.
You can only book through some less secure third-party channels, as the hotel is not yet ready to receive guests. After all, it is still in the preparation stage and cannot open its doors to customers.
I suggest waiting if you really want to book this place. I estimate that once it is available on OTA platforms, there will be good prices.
I stayed at this hotel during my trip to Dunhuang, thanks to connections through the New Century Group. I got to stay for two nights without paying, mainly because the hotel was not yet operational and couldn’t charge.
I’ll write a review another day; this place is quite good.
Alright, the guide is done. You should start preparing for your trip to Dunhuang.
Unable to visit in person? Purchase a VR headset and experience the charm of the Mogao Caves on Digital Dunhuang (e-dunhuang.com).
