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The six top adventures in Dunhuang

With nothing but 1.3 million-square-kilometer desert for company, Dunhuang (敦煌) really feels as though it's in the middle of nowhere.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

But it's the desolation that makes the desert town so attractive.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

The air is crisp; there's not the slightest hint of light pollution at night; it’s one of the few places in the world where anyone can rent a camel and camp out in sand dunes.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

With a population of 180,000, Dunhuang (the name means "big and grand") is located in the Gansu province of western China.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

As a town, it was a frontier defensive bulwark in the Han Dynasty and a major stop on the ancient Silk Road.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

The city's history dates to approximately 2000 BC.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

Today, the wildest activities in and around the old trading hub revolve around accessing the desert that travelers once feared.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

 M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

1. Horseback riding to Yangguan PassM6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

 M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours
 yangguan.jpgM6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours
This fortress once marked the border between China and uncharted Western land.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

 M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

A textbook staple for Chinese students, the Yangguan Pass was immortalized in Chinese history by Wang Wei (王维), a Tang Dynasty poet.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

The pass once protected Dunhuang from invaders coming from the west; and though it has been reduced to a heap of rock with traces of design and architectural details, the view near the pass remains breathtaking: bleak but beautiful desert stretches as far as the eye can see.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

Admission is RMB 50 (US$8), which includes a guided tour of the Yangguan Museum.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

Visitors have the option of going up to the Yangguan Pass on a tram or by horseback. The horse, of course, feels far more epic.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

 M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

2. Hiking amid eerie rock formations at Yadan National ParkM6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours
M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

 M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

dunhuang yadan.jpgM6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours
Mission in Yadan: spot the rock formations that resemble the Sphinx. M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours
M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

 M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

Yadan National Park is spead over 400 square kilometers and littered with various rock formations that are analogous to abstract art -- they're actually the product of lake erosion millions of years ago.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

Now arid desert, the entire area was once underwater.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

Visitors can jump on a tour bus to various sites with rocks that resemble the Egyptian sphinx, Great Pyramids and ancient Roman relics.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

Awesome photo ops are everywhere. Nothing says desert nomad more than a midair jumping photo in the middle of nowhere.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

Yadan National Park (敦煌雅丹国家地质公园), 180 kilometers northwest of Dunhuang. M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours
M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

 M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

3. Touring Mogao GrottoesM6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours
M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

 M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

 mogao grottoes.jpgM6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours
The Mogao Grottoes are a series of Buddhist caves with amazing detailing.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours
 M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

There are 492 caves that contain some 2,100 colored statues and 45,000 square meters of murals. If joined together, they would cover a length of 30 kilometers, or the equivalent of 1,000 basketball courts.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

Staff and tour guides are adamant about enforcing the area's photography ban. Bags have to be checked in before their owners can embark on the hour-long tour.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

The grottoes are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and each cave has its own unique character.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

The area was a pilgrimage site and venue for ancient scribes. The fact that it's intact today (after the destruction of so many other historic sites in China) is testament to its cultural value.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

Admission is RMB 180 ($28) during high season (May 1-October 31) and RMB 100 ($15) the rest of the year.M6JSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

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