The six top adventures in Dunhuang -Silk Road China Tours

By admin
In dunhuangknowledge
2016-05-14

The six top adventures in Dunhuang

4. Bargaining at Dunhuang Night Market

Modern bazaar on ancient Silk Road

Dunhuang was a major stop on the Silk Road. Today, it remains a trading town.

The best way to feel like part of the legacy is to try bargaining at the Shazhou Night Market (敦煌夜市).

Dunhuang is a small town, so the night market is the only place to stock up on trinkets and souvenirs.

Local merchants sell their personal items (mostly jewelry) and artisans hand-carve camel engravings and paint desert landscapes.

Piles of dried fruit and nuts (juicy apricots, mammoth pistachios) are also available.

Bargain hard. Merchants will purposely hike up prices for foreigners. Even a little Chinese helps the bargaining process.

The market is in the center of the town and accessible by bus or taxi.

Shazhou Night Market (敦煌夜市), Shazhou Lu, Dunhuang 敦煌沙洲夜市. The night market runs from around 6 p.m. till midnight every day.

5. Camel riding and paragliding at Singing Sand dunes and Crescent Lake

Legend has it that the water in this Gobi oasis has a high medicinal value.

It may be overpopulated with tourists and reminiscent of a giant sandbox, but this is where visitors can experience all of Dunhuang rolled into one convenient spot.

Echoing Sand Mountain is a series of sand dunes that surround Crescent Lake, which is named for its distinctive shape. Echoes can be heard as the wind blows over the dunes.

Visitors ride camels up sand dunes, which rise to 250 meters. With gardens blooming on the banks of the water, Crescent Lake offers a lovely visual counterpoint to all that sand.

The attraction is also suitable for those with a daredevil edge. Paragliding is available; you can traverse the hills via dune buggy; or grab a sled and slide down the giant mounds of sand.

Admission is RMB 120 ($18) during peak season (May 1-October 31) and RMB 60 ($9) in low season.

6. Overnight camel trekking

Coolest transportation for Gobi explorers

A night in the sand dunes with camels and a completely unpolluted night sky is the quintessential Dunhuang experience.

The trek begins at 5 p.m. and ends at 8 a.m. the following morning.

The all-inclusive trip includes a tour guide, dinner (ramen), breakfast (bread), accommodations (tent) and, the best part, transportation (camels).

Guides don’t speak much English, but they’ve had their share of foreign customers, so they know the basics.

Be sure to put on a few layers before crawling out of the tent to go to the bathroom at 3 a.m. The temperature difference between night and day is up to 30 C.

There are no toilets. You dig your own holes.

Getting there: Dunhuang Airport (敦煌机场) is located 13 kilometers east of the city. China Southern operates a daily return flight between Xi'an Xianyang Airport and Dunhuang Airport. Air China flies between Beijing and Dunhuang once a day.

Dunhuang station is served by trains only from cities in northwest China. However, Liuyuan station (柳园站), approximately 130 kilometers from Dunhuang, links to Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Chongqing and Chengdu. Shuttle buses and taxis connect Liuyuan station and Dunhuang.

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