My Silk Road tour –Singing Sand Mountains & Crescent Moon Spring & Yangguan Pass

In early June, Dunhuang still does not have summer heat, as today we had a leisure day and not too many activities, in the cool morning we visited Singing Sand Mountains & Crescent Moon Spring scenic spot first, the spot is only 5 minutes driving from our hotel. When you went into the spot, several huge sand dunes are just at front of you, you can not help getting excited, you want to run into the sands. You might be curious why the sand dunes are called singing mountains. When there is wild wind, the sands will be blown up and make loud sound, while the sound sounds like being produced by some ancient musical instrument when blew by breeze, hence the name. Fortunately, today there is no wind, but we do not feel any pity we can not hear the singing. In the big scenic spot, you have two ways to explore the sand dunes, you can walk about 1 hour from the entrance to the Crescent Moon Spring, or you can take the camel ride to the sand dunes for a round, then to the spring, the price for the optional camel ride is RMB100 per person. For me, I tried the camel ride. The ride is about 45 minutes, all camels walking in a line, there are hundreds of camels, how amazing.

After the ride, you can reach the Crescent Moon Spring, the spring is in a natural shape of half-moon to match its name. The particular geographic landform around the lake prevents it from being buried in the desert; on the other hand, the underflows beneath it also ensure continuous source for it. Therefore, the lake has never dried up or buried by drifting sands in spite of locating among sand dunes, it is a miracle in the desert. Also, it makes the place more beautiful and romantic, like a drop of tear from heaven.

Facing the Crescent Moon Spring, it is a big sand dune, you can climb up to the top for best photos shot. No need worry about the sands, there are some wooden stairs dug in the sands. Standing on the top, you can see more wide sand dunes, also more greens in Dunhuang city, the world is made by two colors: yellow and green.

At noon, we were back hotel for a lunch break, also took a shower after playing in the sand.

In the afternoon, we visited another place named Yangguan Pass, where is is located approximately 70 kilometers southwest of Dunhuang City. Yangguan Pass is an important part of the Silk Road, it is one of China’s two most important western passes, other one is the famous Yumenguan Pass, nowadays only the remains of the beacon tower of Dundun Hill to witness the Yumenguan Pass changing in about 1900 years. In China, we have a famous poem about Yumenguan Pass: Past the Yangguan out to the west, old friends there'll be none. What a wild and sentimental place.

To be continued…