The center of the Northern Silk Road
In the province of Gansu, in the north of China, you will find the city of Dunhuang (1,150 m above sea level), which was an important center of the northern branch of the Silk Road. Today it is the center of tourism, thanks to the massive dunes south of the city, which hide a beautiful oasis. The crowds of local tourists head only to Cresent Moon lake, so just connect a little further to the dunes and you will be completely alone.
The first view of the dunes
Dunhuang lies essentially on a plateau in a large oasis. Behind the last houses and trees rise huge dunes, up to three hundred meters high. The visitor center is quite monumental to handle the crowds of local excursionists. There are significantly fewer foreigners here, mostly almost none, after all, Dunhuang is a bit out of hand for the main itineraries in China. Behind a huge paved area lies this photogenic stone and then only an unimaginable desert.
Camel field
Although it is less than a kilometer and a half from the entrance to the desert to the oasis, few Chinese go on foot. There are hundreds of camels here
The direction of the oasis
You can set off in the direction of an oasis along a wide path or directly on the sand
The first view from the dune
We disconnect from the crowds and climb the dune. The views from the top are just as beautiful
The unfathomable world of dunes
Climbing the dune is no honey, anyone who has tried so knows. In addition, you can still see some higher than where we are.
Wide view of the oasis
The higher we are, the wider the view. In the distance you can see the endless green oasis of Dunhuang and directly below us both places surrounded by sand
The highest dune far and wide
Our goal is the highest dune far and wide
Ascent along the dune ridge
The ascent to the highest dune is tiring, but amazing at the same time. Their height above the surrounding landscape is really great
Peak
Finally we are up and crowds of Chinese tourists for miles
Crescent Moon Lake
The descent back is already significantly faster. We are finally going to look at the official destination of this trip – a pagoda and a lake
Dune ladder
In a few places you will also come across a dune ladder
Temple
The temple and the lake are worth walking around from all sides, because the view is always different and always great
The lake
The oasis is really perfect
View from the opposite dune
You won't find a livestock further north on the dune
Chinese tourists
Sun and sand protection must be provided
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