I have wanted to stroll down China’s ancient Silk Road for many years. Now, I am over 50 and finally my wish came true this year.
The reason why I wanted this westbound trip was my desire to see Qinghai Lake, Mogao Grottoes and the Jiayu Pass. I always wanted to see the pristine Qinghai Lake, to explore the magic of Mogao Grottoes and to break through the magnificent Jiayu Pass.
I had to admire nature’s skill in creation when I truly saw the surface of Qinghai Lake, quietly with blue light reflecting, with a mountain in a distance and with blue sky and white clouds above.
When I saw the exquisite murals and sculptures, I could not help but admire the the ancient craftsmen. When I boarded the tower of the Jiayu Pass and overlooked the inhospitable Gobi Desert, once again, I could appreciate the immensity of the Great Wall.
I have been back home for more than one month already. When I look at the sand that I brought from the Singing Sand Mountain and browse the photos taken during my trip, I found that the scenes I miss most are the Singing Sand Mountain and the Crescent Spring.
It was in hotel in a hotel in Dunhuang. We planned to visit the Singing Sand Mountain and the Crescent Spring the next day. We were discussing if we should get up early to see the sunrise in the desert. I was the first one to raise an objection: “No need. We live at the foot of Huangshan Mountain. What sunrise can match it?”
I was supported by several female teammates right after I finished speaking. It was already the sixth or seventh day of the trip. Everyone was feeling tired and hoping to rest more. The male teammates agreed as well upon further consideration.
It was only ten minutes’ drive from our hotel to the Spring Mountain. It seemed we could breathe a sense of the Singing Sand Mountain and the Crescent Spring when we took a walk around the hotel after dinner. I did plenty of research before the trip and studied everything about it, because this was the trip of my dreams.
The sand in the Singing Sand Mountain in Dunhuang will produce great noise when there is a gale, and orchestral music when there is a breeze passing through it. One more magical element of the Singing Sand Mountain is that every morning the whole dessert is flat and smooth without a single trace of footsteps, although tourist numbers are ever-increasing.
The moment I stepped onto the sand, someone shouted “See? Sunrise!”
I saw rays of orange-red sunshine appearing on the edge of the dessert by looking along the direction of their finger.
It was a long sandy road before we reached the top of the mountain. We rented a few camels. Camels were very obedient. Their glittering along eyelashes made people feel pity. They carried us quietly, heading towards the Peak. But after several minutes’ ridding, my backside grew painful. I could not help but admire the ancients who travelled on the Silk Road.
The Crescent Spring is about 100 meters long from south to north and 25 meter wide from east to west. It seems particularly delicate and beautiful in the vast dessert. The spring water is green, which looks jade embedded into the golden sand…
