My First Visit to Dunhuang

Written by Ms. LILYAug 23, 2012 03:14
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My itinerary:
Day 1
07:50-17:10 My flight was delayed but I finally arrived at Dunhuang Airport
20:00-22:30 Ming Chi (Famous Snack literally) Square at Shazhou Night Market

Day 2
15:00-16:00 Dunhuang Ancient City and Dang River Reservoir
16:00-18:00西Thousand-Buddha Cave
18:30 dinner

Day 3 Mogao Grottoes, Echoing Sand Mountain, Crescent Lake and Little Leiyin Temple and Dunhuang Ghost City (Yadan Landforms)

09:00-12:00 Crescent Lake and Echoing Sand Mountain
12:00-13:30 lunch
14:00-18:00 Mogao Grottoes
18:30-21:00 Dunhuang Ghost City
21:00-00:45 back to our hotel

Tourists must pass Yang and Yumen Passes to reach Dunhuang Ghost City. In addition, tourists have to pay admission fees to Yang and Yumen Passes. If not, they won’t be allowed to go to Dunhuang Ghost City.

第四天
05:30-09:00 Appreciated sun rise at the Echoing Sand Mountain
10:00-12:00 wandering at Shazhou Market
15:00 arrived at Xian

Dunhuang is a cultural mecca in China. In ancient times, it had another name “Sha Zhou (City of Sand)”. In the past, this city was an important point along the Silk Road. More than 2000 years later, it has become a famous tourist city because of the frescos.

There is only one flight from Shanghai to Dunhuang. It departs at 07:50. In order to catch the flight, I left my hotel at 05:00 and arrived at the Pudong Airport at 05:40. I thought I got here to early because there was no airport staff. Anyway, better be early than late. I didn’t want to miss my flight.

Dunhuang Airport is probably the smallest airport that I have ever seen. When you got off the plane, you just needed to walk to the terminal.

It was around 16:00 when we arrived at the Dunhuang Airport. Well, it was so hot that we felt we were under the sun at noon in Shanghai. The airport was not far from the hotel we booked. It took us 30 minutes from the airport to our hotel (called Yang Guang Sha Zhou). It is the only five-star hotel, probably the best one in Dunhuang.

酒店地址:31日阳光中间道路
Superior Standard Room: CNY 460 (breakfast offered)
PS: the hotel was opened in May, 2008.

My impression on the hotel:
1. The staff at the hotel was too slow. It took too long to check in.
2. Check-out time is before 12:00 at noon, half-day’s charge is added after 12:00.
3. The hardware facilities and service is not good. It isn’t a real five-star hotel in my eyes.
4. It is easy to catch a cab in front of the hotel. I successfully caught a cab at 05:00 because I wanted to view the sunrise at the Echoing Sand Mountain.
5. There is no public bus from our hotel to Dunhuang Ghost City from our hotel. So we hired a car. Usually, it takes about 3 hours to Ghost City and the driver charges around CNY 350-400.

When to go: May to October. It’s the best time to go there.

What to wear: T-shirts (day time) and long sleeves T-shirts (at night), sunscreen, sunglass, sun helmet, beach umbrella.

PS:
1. the sun usually sets at 20:30. Better visit Echoing-Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake before 10:00 in the morning. If you are afraid of heat, better bring some heatstroke medicine.
2. Better rent a pair of shoe cover when you enter the Echoing Sand Mountain. Otherwise, your shoes will be full of sands.

What to eat: you can find beef, mutton, noodles and fruits here. If you are lucky, you can taste grapes when you come. The grape festival is held in September every year. In addition, a drink made of apricot skin and yogurt taste good.

Transportation: Taxi price starts at CNY 5. Tourists can take public bus from Yangguan middle Road to Echoing Sand Mountain. The Mogao Grottoes is not far from the downtown area. To visit Yang Pass and Ghost City, tourists need to hire a car.

More Dunhuang Travel Reviews
1.恐怖分子ible time in dunhuang CASSANO from usa Aug 11, 2012 06:02
2.A Wonderful Trip to Echoing-Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake ELBERT May 13, 2011 03:24
3.The Thousand-Buddha cave complex near Dunhuang JIM HOY from USA Sep 3, 2010 23:42
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