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Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Spring, Dunhuang, Gansu Province

 

 

   

Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Spring, Dunhuang's Hot Spot

Situated 5 km south of Dunhuang city, the Mingsha (Singing Sand Dunes) Mountain is celebrated for the sound of the moving sand. Named Sha Jiao Mountain in East Han Dynasty (24-220), it is 800 square kilometers in size, stretching 40 km from east to west and 20 km from south to the north. The main peak is 1,715 meters above sea level. Its ridges and peaks are known to be as sharp as a knife. Stepping on the sand may change its shape temporarily, but the sand always returns its original shape the next day. Walking on the sand, one can also hear a sound that could be as light as bamboo instrument or as heavy as thunderous drums.

Within the Mingsha Mountain lies the Crescent Spring (Yueyaquan). It is so named because of its shape as a crescent. At various times in history, it was once called Sha-Jing (Sand Well), Yao-Quan (Medicine Spring), or Wo Wa Pool. It received its current name in the Qing Dynasty (1644 –1911). The Crescent Spring has an average depth of 3.2 meters. The water is sweet and crystal clear. The sand never gets into spring, and the water is never muddy or dry up. There are three treasures in the Crescent Spring, the iron back fish, the seven-star grass and the five-color sand. 
 

Related Reports: Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Spring

Transport bottleneck curbs tourism along Silk Road
July 4, 2007 - It was once the main route for goods and people across Asia and into Europe, but international experts in development are now lamenting the inadequate transport links on the centuries-old Silk Road. The lack of sufficient transport between China and Central Asia, especially air links, has become an obstacle to tourism development along the Silk Road, according to the United Nations Development Program. (Click for full report on ChinaView..cn)

 

Mogao Grottoes Opened Five New Caves

In an effort to relieve tension on protection of Mogao Grottoes in Duhuang aroused from seasonal imbalance of tourists, relevant authorities opened another five grottoes which were never available to tourists before to the public recently. These five newly opened grottoes include the No. 290, No. 296, No. 407, No. 196 and No. 9 ones which have high artistic value and are typical of the period from the North Zhou Dynasty (557-581AD) to the late Tang Dynasty (618AD-907AD). Tourists can still visit grottoes which were opened before. The Buddhist scriptures library, the Dunhuang Academy history & Mr. Chang Shuhong memorial hall, and the cultural relic protection and exhibition center will remain open too. Admission fees for Dunhuang Singing Sands Mountain and Crescent Spring offer a 50% discount over that of high seasons. As a world renowned cultural heritage site, Dunhuang's Mogao Grottoes has nearly 500 existing caves. Also known as "Pearl of the Oriental Art" and Thousand-Buddha Cave, Mogao Grottoes were initially chiseled in 366AD. After caverning from the Sixteen Kingdoms period (304-436AD) through the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1367AD), Mogao Grottoes formed a large stone grotto cluster affluent in contents. Dunhuang Academy suggested domestic and foreign tourists visit Mogao Grottoes in winter or spring, when there are fewer visitors. Visitors will have more time to enjoy broad space in the grottos, listen to illustrations, and carefully watch the fine frescos and statues.
 

Dunhuang to Build International Airport
Xinhua News, Oct. 19, 2006 - Dunhuang in northwest China's Gansu Province is planning to build an international airport because the number of overseas tourists flocking in to see the ancient Buddhist cave paintings is growing by 30 percent annually. The new airport will first open to international charter flights to and from Hong Kong, Osaka and Seoul, said Feng Shiping, head of Dunhuang's Commerce Bureau. About 370 charter flights will fly these three routes in the peak travel seasons between late April and mid October each year. He said, "China Southern Airlines, Air China and Hainan Airlines will be operating these flights." (Click for full report)

 

Mogao Grottoes Opened Five New Caves

In an effort to relieve tension on protection of Mogao Grottoes in Duhuang aroused from seasonal imbalance of tourists, relevant authorities opened another five grottoes which were never available to tourists before to the public recently. (Click for full story)

Floods Threaten Silk Road Grottoes
Flooding and rain threaten the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes hidden in northwest China's vast Gobi desert...

China to Build Digital Dunhuang Grottoes China will invest 200 million yuan or more than US$24 million to build digital Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. The digital version is so real that tourists will feel like they are visiting the real grottoes. The world-famous Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang are located in northwest China's Gansu Province. The Grottoes date back to 336 A.D. They are the one of the three major Buddhist art treasures in China and are the largest in terms of scale of all existing art collections in the world. The grand grottoes went on the World Heritage List in 1987. (CRI Mar. 5, 2004)

Wounds of Time to Dunhuang Grottoes Aired
Shanghai Star November 11, 2004 - China Central Television's recent live broadcasts from Dunhuang's grottoes may be the first time Chinese media have focused on these mysterious marvels. The programmes showed more than 10 grottoes that had never before been exposed to public view. (full coverage)

 

 
 

More Pictures: Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Spring

 


Crescent Spring and Singing Sand Dunes, Dunhuang

 

1,000-year old mural in Mogao Grottos of Dunhuang

 

 

 

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