Dunhuang

From eTripTips Wiki

Dunhuang (敦煌) is a city on the old Silk Road. It is located in Gansu Province in north west China.

[edit] Understand

The city was founded by Emperor Wudi of the Han dynasty in 111 BC at the cross roads of two trading routes on the Silk Road, and the name 'Dunhuang', meaning to 'to flourish and prosper,' gives some indication of the town's prominence in ancient China. It is much less important today.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By Plane

Dunhuang Airport (IATA: DNH) is 13 km east of town center. Flights are available to Beijing via Lanzhou, Urumqi, and Xian.

[edit] By Train

Dunhuang Huoche Zhan is actually located 130 km north of Dunhuang in the town of Liuyuan. Train schedules sometimes say Dunhuang instead of Liuyuan.

• Beijing - takes about 38 hours
• Lanzhou - takes about 13-18 hours
• Turpan - takes about 11 hours
• Urumqi - takes about 13 hours
• Xian - takes about 30-38 hours

[edit] By Bus

Dunhuang has 2 bus stations diagonally across from each other. Most frequent buses leave from the main bus station and not the long distance bus station.

• Golmud - takes about 15 hours
• Hami (3 weekly) - takes about 8 hours
• Jiayuguan - takes about 4-8 hours
• Lanzhou - takes about 17-24 hours
• Liuyuan - takes about 3 hours
• Xining
• Zhangye - takes about 13 hours

[edit] Get around

[edit] See

The city is the site of the Mogao Caves (莫高窟), a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with exquisite Buddhist art and manuscripts. Although the city had an early connection with Buddhism due to the passage of monks traveling the Silk Road, it was not until a monk had a vision of a thousand Buddhas above the desert at Dunhuang in 4th century that the famous caves were excavated and filled with the manuscripts and treasures. Nearby is the White Horse Pagoda, built by a monk from India in honor of his horse, which died in the process of bringing the monk to China.

The famous Mingshashan—Yueyaquan National Park with Mingsha (Humming Sand) Hill and Crescent Moon Spring are found south of Dunhuang while to the north there is Jade Gate Pass (Yumen Guan) and Sun Pass (Yangguandao), last Han outposts on the Great Wall of China.

[edit] Do

• "Summer of Dunhuang" Variety Show - offered from June to October, performances of singing and dancing in the Silk Road traditions

[edit] Buy

[edit] Eat

[edit] Drink

[edit] Sleep

[edit] budget

• Feitian Hotel Dunhuang, : 22 Mingshan Rd., Dunhuang, : (0937)8822726

[edit] midrange

• Grand Sun Hotel Dunhuang, : 5 North Shazhou Rd., Dunhuang, : (0937)8829998
• Dunhuang Hotel, : 14 Yangguan Easr Rd., Dunhuang, : (0937)8822538

[edit] splurge

• Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel, : Mingshashan, : (0937)8882088

[edit] Get out

Silk Road - The route between Dunhuang and Cherchen is probably the hardest to do in all of the Silk Road travels since public transit does not exist between the two points. Buses run from Dunhuang to some of the remote villages along China Highway 315. From one of these towns you will need the use of private jeep and/or minibuses to get you over the border to Charklik (Ruoqiang). Between Charklik (Ruoqiang) and Cherchen (Qiemo), buses take about 13-16 hours.

WikiPedia:Dunhuang

Dmoz:Asia/China/Gansu/Dunhuang/ World66:asia/northeastasia/china/dunhuang