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Latest Dunhuang hotel reviews
Pro
Very famous historical site in China
Con
So cold that parts of your body you didn't know you had will ache.
In a nutshell
The start of the Silk Road to Kashgar...
leigh767 Says: Painstakingly built over a span of 10 centuries (a 1,000 year long project!), the Mo Gao Grottoes are truly a feat of devotion and imagination. The grotto construction began in 366 AD. Legend has that it all started when a monk by the name of Yue Zun dreamt of 1000 golden...
leigh767 Says: A spectacular point to see the Great Wall, not only because it marks the very western end of this world famous landmark but also because Jia Yu Guan has an uncommon double wall design. There's an outer wall and an inner wall; in fact, the entire complex is very...
Mingsha Dune and Crescent Lake
SallyM Says: First of all, you have the opportunity to climb into some fetching day-glo orange protective footwear (a good idea if you are planning on climbing up the sand dune, but not necessary if you just want to go and look at the Crescent Lake).Once through the entrance, you can opt...
SallyM Says: For a thousand years, pilgrims and travellers had temples and shrines dug out of the cliff and in order to ensure a safe journey. The caves were adorned with paintings. At the turn of the 20th century a huge cache of manuscripts was discovered by 'Abbot' Wang, who...
Beefy_SAFC Says: There are over 1,000 caves here, of which 600 survive in a recognisable form. Now before I say they are all based on Buddhist texts, teachings and life stories of the Buddha and you all switch off, within these caves is contained an entire history of Chinese art (through...
ellyse Says: World Heritage Site, 1 of the 3 major grottoes in China (the others are the Yungang Grottoes at Datong, Shanxi and Longmen Grottoes at Luoyang, Henan). Photos are prohibited in the grottoes. A tour is compulsory and included in the ticket price. 100 RMB for Chinese-speaking...
2 Reviews and 123 Opinions After leaving Dun Huang, we spent a night at Silk Road Dun Huang Hotel. This hotel has a sprawling...
1 Review and 38 Opinions Excellent four-star hotel very close to the night market. The rooms were enormous and very well...
Chinese Restaurant, Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel: Not sure about the camel hump...
SallyM Says: We ate in the hotel’s Chinese restaurant a couple of times and the food was very good. Dishes we tried included: shredded beef; duck with green peppers and broccoli with bacon; minced lamb and spring onions with pancakes; chicken and peanuts and stir-fried strips of potato -...
The night market: The night market
mke1963 Says: The night market is a great place to hang out and eat in the late evening. A hundred - mainly Hui - street cafes are set up, with every one of them vying for your trade. Beer and soft drinks are ice cold and the food is piping hot, straight off the skewer.There are tourists...
leigh767 Says: If you, like most travellers, arrive to the Dunhuang area first by passing through Lanzhou city (capital of Gansu province), consider flying a plane to Dunhuang for the main sightseeing.I went from Lanzhou to Dunhuang by car and took a plane on the way back. The difference...
ellyse Says: Bus Dunhuang -- Jiayuguan takes about 5-6 hours depending on how much stopping the driver does along the way (toilet/meals). Our ride took 6, lunch break at Guazhou long-distance bus station -- do NOT pay to use the toilet there, the woman sitting there isn't collecting...
Best Way to Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang Train Station
ellyse Says: There's a green shuttle bus to Mogao Grottoes, passing by Dunhuang train station enroute. Starting point in Dunhuang city is beside Dunhuang Binguan. Fare Dunhuang city <--> Dunhuang train station should be 5 RMB IIRC; Dunhuang train station <--> Mogao Grottoes...
ellyse Says: Dunhuang now has a working train station to call its own, though construction isn't all finished yet. It's 14h from Urumqi or Lanzhou and 24h from Xi'an. No necessity to go through Liuyuan train station if you're coming from any of those cities, Turpan or Jiayuguan etc.The...
China Post: For Postcard-Collectors & Philatelists
ellyse Says: There's a China Post at Mogao Grottoes. Main "value" is the unique commemorative chops available. You can get a commemorative chop on your Mogao Grottoes entry ticket and postcards. Make sure the date is correct, because mine wasn't...! :( Free for the Mogao Grottoes entry...
Clothing and other supplies: Clothing and other supplies
mke1963 Says: Other than food and souvenirs in the nearby night market, there is a wholesale market handy in the eastern part of town behind the small foodcourt.It's partly under cover and is a useful place for additional clothing in winter or a spare T-shirt or two in the summer. It is...
Possibility of Washed-out Bridge at Mogao Grottoes
ellyse Says: If it rains, be warned that you might be walking 1.5-2 hours in the desert to get from Mogao Grottoes to the shuttle buses or any other form of vehicular transport! That was what happened to us. The river at Mogao Grottoes was a raging Milo-looking mess and the bridge was...
SallyM Says: Sandstorms are very unpleasant (like thick orange fog with added grit and strong winds), and should one occur, all doors and windows have to be closed, and the Mogao caves will be closed to visitors (to protect the cave paintings from the sand, and also for the safety of the...
leigh767 Says: If you're travelling to Dunhuang during the winter months, remember that there is no such thing as "underpacking"! Bring your warmest, warmest long johns, down jackets, ear muffs, socks-- then borrow your Aunt Mildred's/Uncle Vinnie's set of winter clothes too!If possible,...
yirutang Says: In Mogao Cave, you can rent a torch. The torch you bring yourself is usually not as powerful as the torch they provid. In order to see the paint, you need very powerful torches, the best way is to rent one. Take care of your camera on MingSha hills. If they fall into the...
John195123 Says: Not your typical OTBP activity, but it's interesting to be caught in a sand storm. Out hiking one day on the dunes, we watched a wall of grey envelope the city. We were at the top of a dune, on a ridge. Sand blew up the face of the dune, hitting only our legs- fortunately...
mke1963 Says: There is a tiny section of Dunhuang's original city walls and a watchtower on the way out of town towards Yangguan and Yumenguan.Sadly it is in a very poor state, and the area is used for dumping household rubbish now.GPS coordinates will follow, but unfortunately my brand...
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Plan a Dunhuang vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Dunhuang locals
Roads to Yardang Geological Park and to Jiayuguan are terrible in some parts, so take some motion sickness medication if you're prone to carsickness. The...
Q: Plan to visit the Yardang from Dunhuang, would like to know how long it takes to drive from Dunhaung?
A: I forgot exactly how long (has been a long time since I was there) but it's a few hours drive from Dunhuang.
Read 7 Replies
1
Dunhuang is one of the great sites along the Silk Road; indeed it is hard t talk about the Silk Road without mentioning Dunhuang. Yet it is not the most intimate place to see Buddhist art, treasures...
2
I visited Dunhuang in 1991, as part of a longer trip from Samarkanda to Beijing, following the Silk Route. Dunhuang was a famous stop on the route, as it was an oasis on the way. The most famous...
3
I've got some interesting experiences in Dunhuang. I'd love to share with you the 17 tips I've written, the 47 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created.
4
Dunhuang - A famous historical site
Dunhuang is an important place in the ancient silk road and the famous Mogao Buddhist grottoes. Hope you would find the information useful, and perhaps you can rate them or give your comments....
5
Silk Road-- The Cradle of Chinese Civilisation
Though the present day desert landscape along the Silk Road suggests little of the once-flourishing trade route of the 3rd century, Dun Huang and the surrounding relics are still a wonder to behold....
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