Dunhuang scenic spots are divided into East-West tours. The main scenic spots on the east line are Mogao Grottoes and Mingsha mountain, which are close to the downtown area of Dunhuang, and the distance is between 1-2 hours. The west line is about 300km long, 7-8 hours' round trip. The feeling of desolation and sadness is the characteristics of Dunhuang west line tourism. So, what must I do to visit Dunhuang? How do I get there? How much is the entrance fee? When are the opening hours?
Top 5 tourist attractions
1. Mogao Grottoes
Mogao Grottoes is a national key cultural relics protection unit, commonly known as the thousand Buddha cave. It is known as the most valuable cultural discovery in the 20th century and the "Oriental Louvre". It is located in Dunhuang at the west end of Hexi corridor. It is famous for its exquisite murals and statues. Mogao Grottoes are composed of two parts: the digital exhibition center and the entity grottoes.
It was first built in the pre Qin period of the sixteen countries. After the construction of the sixteen countries, the Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Xixia, yuan and other dynasties, it has formed a huge scale. There are 735 caves, 45000 square meters of murals, 2415 clay colored sculptures, and it is the largest and most abundant Buddhist art holy land in the world. Since modern times, there have been more than 50000 ancient cultural relics in the cave, from which the discipline of Dunhuang studies, which specializes in the classics of the cave and Dunhuang art, has been derived. But in modern times, mogao grottoes were stolen, cultural relics were lost, and their treasures were seriously damaged. In 1961, Mogao Grottoes was announced as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. In 1987, mogao grottoes were listed as world cultural heritage. It is one of the four Grottoes in China.
Before going to the grottoes, you can watch the theme digital film "the Millennium Mogao" and the ball screen film "the dream Buddha Palace" in the digital exhibition center. The two films respectively introduce the millennium history of the Mogao Grottoes, and let the audience visit the grottoes.
Telephone
0937-8825000;0937-8825166;0937-8825066
Time reference
1 days
traffic
[public transport]
At present, Mogao Grottoes are arranged to collect tickets from the digital center first, and then arrange vehicles from the digital center. There are No.3 buses to and from the digital center and the railway station in the downtown area, 3 yuan, 10-15 minutes' drive.
[rental]
It's convenient to take a taxi, about 40 yuan, but it doesn't rule out the possibility that drivers don't type their watches and ask for prices in peak season
Self driving
About 20 kilometers from Dunhuang to Mogao Grottoes, 22 kilometers from Dunhuang to Mingsha mountain, Yueya spring and Mingsha mountain are all in the west of Dunhuang, and Mogao Grottoes are in the south of Dunhuang
Admission ticket
Peak season: 200 yuan / person from May 1 to October 31
Off season: 100 yuan / person from November 1 to April 30
From November 1, 2016, the Mogao Grottoes booking and booking center located in the downtown area of Dunhuang will be closed. If you need to purchase and collect tickets, please go to the ticket office of the Mogao Grottoes digital display center.
Address of digital exhibition center of Mogao Grottoes: 9 kilometers to the east of 314 provincial road in Dunhuang city (near DunHuang Railway Station)
Tel: 4008-333-715 (9:00-16:00)
Opening Hours
8:00-18:00 in peak season (may 1-October 31)
Off season (November 1-April 30) 9:00-17:30
2. Mingsha mountain
Mingsha mountain is located at the north foot of shaming mountain, 6km south of Dunhuang city. It is named after the sound of sand movement. It was called "Shajiao mountain" and "shensha mountain" in ancient times.
The mountain is formed by the accumulation of quicksand. It starts from the cliff top of Mogao Grottoes in the East and connects with Danghe reservoir in the West. It stretches for 40 kilometers from the east to the west, about 20 kilometers from the north to the south, and the highest altitude is 1715 meters. The whole mountain is composed of grains of red, yellow, green, black and white rice. The grains of five colors are soft, smooth and round. They fall with their feet. They are as old as the wind blows. The shape of the mountain is beautiful. The peak is like a blade. From a long distance, it looks like a winding dragon. In case of friction and vibration, they will make a sound, light as bamboo, heavy as thunder. Therefore, 'Shaling Qingming' is one of the Eight Sights in Dunhuang.
Since ancient times, water and fire can't be compatible, and desert and clear spring can't coexist, but in Mingsha mountain, we can see the spectacle of desert and clear spring adjoining each other. Yueya spring is surrounded by Mingsha mountain, about 150m in length and 50m in width. It is named because the water surface looks like a crescent moon. It is the most famous place in Mingsha mountain scenic area, full of color and vitality, just like a section of South China shepherd's flute in the Qiang flute sound of the desert. It is gentle, clear and lively.
Time reference
Half day
traffic
Bus: take No.3 bus to the downtown, and the terminal can reach the gate of the scenic spot. The fare is 1 yuan
Taxi: about 15 yuan from downtown to Mingsha mountain, about 10 minutes by car
Admission ticket
120 yuan / person in the peak season (may 1-October 31), 60 yuan / person in the off-season (November 1-April 30), half price discount for students with valid student certificates, free or discount for soldiers and the elderly over 65 with valid certificates; 10 yuan / person for sightseeing bus, which can be sent to YueYaQuan scenic spot, short distance and sufficient time for walking;
80 yuan / camel; 160 yuan-1600 yuan / glider, depending on the distance of flight; 15 yuan / person for sand skiing; 10 yuan / pair for renting shoe covers; 20 yuan / photo taken by staff when choosing to ride camel and sand skiing
Opening Hours
Peak season (April 1-October 31): 5:30-21:30
Off season (November 1-March 31): 7:30-19:30
3. Yadan National Geopark
Yadan National Geopark, also known as Yadan devil City, is located about 108km northwest of Dunhuang city and 100km northwest of Yumenguan. Yadan is full of magnets like 'stone chocolate'. The compass doesn't work here.
Yadan landform is a typical wind erosion landform. It's magnificent, powerful, weird and magical, which can't be appreciated without being in person. In the park, there are many kinds of wind erosion landforms with different shapes, such as' yurt ',' camel ',' stone bird ',' stone man ',' stone Buddha ',' stone horse ', etc. It is like a medieval ancient city. Many famous buildings in the world can find its miniature here, which makes the world astonished. After nightfall, the sharp wind makes a terrible roar, just like tens of thousands of wild animals roaring, which is creepy, so it is named 'devil city'.
Time reference
2-3 hours
traffic
Public transport: 76 yuan / person from Dunhuang city to Yadan
Charter: it's located in a remote place. It's recommended to charter a car to go there. You can pass Yumenguan, hanchangcheng and other scenic spots all the way. The cost is between 450-550 yuan
Self driving: nearly 100 kilometers from Dunhuang to Yumen pass, you can drive for 1 hour, and you can drive westward along the ancient Shule River valley from Yumen pass
Admission ticket
Full price ticket 120 yuan / person (ticket 50 yuan, ticket 70 yuan), discount ticket 95 yuan / person (ticket 25 yuan / person, ticket 70 yuan / person), children over 1.2 meters can buy discount tickets to visit children under 1.2 meters in height without tickets
Opening Hours
Ticket selling and opening time: 06:00;
Ticket stop time: 19:30;
Stop entry time: 19:30;
Clearance time: 22:00
4. Crescent spring
Yueya spring is located at the north foot of Mingsha mountain, 5 kilometers south of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province. Throughout the ages, it is famous for the wonderful landscape of "mountain and spring coexist, sand and water coexist", known as "one of the wonders of the scenery outside the Great Wall". In 1994, it was designated as a national key scenic spot.
Yueya spring is located at the north foot of Mingsha mountain, surrounded by Mingsha mountain. It is more than 300 meters long from east to west, 50 meters wide from north to south, and 5 meters deep. It looks like a crescent moon, so it is named Yueya spring. It was called "Shajing" in ancient times, also known as "Yaoquan". At one time, it was falsely said that "wowa pool" was named as "Yueya spring" in Qing Dynasty. It covers an area of 0.88 hectares, with an average depth of about 3 meters. The water is sweet and clear as a mirror. The spring is surrounded by Mingsha mountain, but it is not covered by quicksand. It is always green and rippling. It is clear and bottomless. The rain never overflows and the drought never dries up. The stars and grass in the spring are covered with awns and waves of iron fish and drum. The scenery is very beautiful. Its magic is that quicksand can never fill a spring.
Time reference
3-4 hours
traffic
Take bus No.3 in Gongcheng district to the gate of the scenic spot, the fare is 1 yuan, and you can take it in the rebound Pipa statue and bus station; if you choose a taxi, the fare is about 15 yuan, about 10 minutes by car; after entering the scenic spot, you can walk right, and soon you can see YueYaQuan
Admission ticket
120 yuan / person in peak season (April 1-October 31), 80 yuan / person in off season (November 1-March 31)
Half price discount for students with valid student certificates; free or preferential for military personnel and the elderly over 65 years old with valid certificates
Sightseeing bus: 10 yuan / person, can be sent to YueYaQuan scenic spot, short distance, enough time to walk to
Opening Hours
Peak season (April 1-October 31): 5:30-21:30
Off season (November 1-March 31): 7:30-19:30
5, Yang Guan
"In the Wei City, the rain was light and the green willows were fresh. I would like to persuade you to make a glass of wine even more. There is no one in Yangguan. Wang Wei, a poet of Tang Dynasty, gave Anxi, the second envoy of Yuan Dynasty, a sad sense of separation in Yangguan.
Yangguan, which is located near the antique beach in the southwest of Dunhuang City, is an important gateway to the western regions in the Han Dynasty. Today, the site is only a small earthen platform. In Yangguan Museum, the display of weapons and farm tools shows us the situation of soldiers stationed in the border areas at that time. Those who were far away from their hometown often died of nine deaths and died in a shroud.
Telephone
0937-8833089
Time reference
4 hours
traffic
Public transportation: there are buses from Dunhuang bus station to Nanhu township. Take them in front of Yangguan Hotel, Shazhou, and walk for 30 minutes after getting off at Yangguan fork road;
Charter: if you charter, it will cost about 100 yuan
Admission ticket
50 yuan (including Yangguan Museum);
Children under 1.2m are free of charge;
The elderly over 70 years old are free with relevant certificates;
Purchase half ticket with officer card, press card and student card of domestic colleges and universities (under undergraduate)
Opening Hours
8:00-20:00