Situated near the common boundar y of Gansu， Qinghai and Xinjiang， the histori- cal city Dunhuang（敦煌）is a enowned tourist destination amous for the Mogao Caves， which is a place you should never miss.Amazing Place at a Major Crossroads on the Silk RoadDunhuang， long ago reerred to as “Sha Zhou” (沙洲，desert oasis)， was the hub of middle and eastern silk road in ancient times.Before the third cenury BC， it was inhabited by he people of Yuezhi (月氏，whose descendents became he Indo-Scythian rulers of northwestern India between he 1st and the 5th centuy)， Wusun and Xiongnu.In the 2nd century BC， a brave man named Zhang Qian (張騫)， went twice from China to the then remote and mysterious regions of the west. His journeys were among the most important in history， because he documented valuable nformation on its history and geography， leading China to discover Europe thus giving birth to the Silk Road.Dunhuang was established as a garrison in 111 BC， by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty， to extend military power and for the benefits of trade. Dunhuang was the frontier， at the west end of the Hexi (west of the Yellow River) Corridor. A long wall， which became part of the Great Wall， was erected to its north and two barriers were built to its west. Many watchtowers still remain.The imperial court also moved people from metropolitan China to settle here and stationed troops to guard and farm the land. From then on， Dunhuang became a vital military outpost. As a doorway to Central Asia， it had also grown into a commercial center， bringing exotic imports such as medicine， spices， wine， rugs， fragrant woods， etc. and exporting silk， porcelain， etc.Because the trade brought huge wealth to China， a ceaseless struggle ensued between the Chinese and others for control of this economic artery. Periodically， this route would fall into the hands of independent feudal rulers. It did not matter who controlled this area. It was always full of peril for the caravans as they might be attacked by brigands or suffer from starvation or lack of water. Despite the hazards， the Silk Road thrived.When metropolitan China was in turmoil during the Southern Northern Dynasties， Dunhuang was relatively stable and became a centre of refuge. Its population increased and civilization flourished. During this long period， a group of local Confucian scholars rigorously developed their philosophy. Also， Indian culture， especially Buddhism， was introduced into this area at this time.The art and civilization of the Silk Road achieved its greatest glory during the Tang as the empire reached its golden age in Chinese history. The bright-coloured statues and complex scenes in the murals are magnificent.During the early Tang right after the Sui， the empire was expanding and became very strong. The Great Emperor Taizong (Li Shimin， reigned 627-649) strengthened the military force of the Hexi area， thus guaranteeing a continuous and steady development of Dunhuang’s economy and culture.We should say the art of Dunhuang is the art of religion — a product of history that develops along with the development of human society. Religion needs art for publicity while art relies on religion for promotion. The totems of China’s ancient times， pottery basin painted with human faced fish， Door of Dragon and Phoenix and woman’s pray in silk book of later Zhou Dynasty， the immortal’s ascending to heaven with dragon in silk book of the Warring States， image of leading the departed saint’s soul to heaven in silk book of Han Dynasty， Gu Kaizhi’s painting of Goddess Luo Rhapsody， East King Father and West King Mother in book that was buried in tomb of the Sixteen Kingdoms Period… all these ancient Chinese art treasures are linked to religion.Mogao GrottoesThe Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes， also known as the One-Thousand-Buddha Grottoes， are located on the eastern， rocky side of Singing Sand Mountain， near Dunhang city. According to historical records， the carving of them was started in 366 AD and lasted about 1，000 years. Now， there are 492 grottoes in existence， with some 45，000 square m of murals and 2，400-odd painted clay figures. The painted clay figures vary greatly in size， with the largest one being 33m high and the smallest only 10cm.In Dunhaung， a native-born Yuezhi monk， Fahu was very active in the third century. He was a superb translator， preaching and translating scriptures for many years， earning the name “Bodhisattva of Dunhuang”. He promoted the teachings of Avalokitesvara and might have contributed to the popularity of this bodhisattva.In the meantime， Buddhist missionaries and pilgrims who were in search of original sources， scriptures and holy sites， began preserved. Unfortunately you cannot take photos in the caves and you have to go with a guide— nowadays， you cannot walk around in the caves on your own. Mingsha Hill and Crescent Moon SpringThe Mingsha Mountain and the Crescent Moon Spring locates at 5km south of Dunhuang. Since time immemorial， the scenic spot is famous across the whole world for its “Coexistence of mountain and spring， sand and water”. It is listed as National Key Tourist Attractions of the People’s Republic of China in 1994.The Mingsha Mountain and the Crescent Moon Spring integrate with the artistic landscape of the Mogao Grottoes， forming the “Two Bests” in the southern Dunhuang City and becoming a tourist attraction not only to Chinese but to people from the world.The Mingsha Mountain is so named due to the soundmaking sand. It used to be called as “Shajiao Mountain” or“Shensha Mountain”. The Crescent Moon Spring is embraced in the bosom of the Mingsha Mountain and obtained its name for its crescent-like shape. Formerly called “Sand Well” or “Medicine Spring” with the floor area of 0.88 hectares and average depth of water as about 3 meters， it boasts sweet and cool water， clear as the mirror. After more than several thousand years， the spring survived even in the dry desert. Inside the spring are various grass and fishes contrasting nicely with the mountain around.About over 300 meters long and 50 meters wide， the Crescent Moon Spring is surrounded by the Mingsha Mountain. The poplars stand elegantly beside the spring and fishes swim happily and leisurely. The spring water tastes fresh and sweet and water in the color of light blue. It gets the name for its crescent-like shape. The Crescent Moon Spring is a dream-like riddle for it surprisingly survives from the desert. Therefore， it really lives up to its name of “First Desert Spring under Heaven”.Just as oil and water don’t mix， so do springs and deserts. But Crescent Spring is an exception. Some say it reminds them of the eye of a beautiful woman， lucid， beautiful and amorous. Some say it looks like the mysterious， gentle and seductive lips of a pretty woman， or a slice of lush， sweet and crystal cantaloupe. Actually， it resembles a crescent that falls down into this desert. Having been lying among these sand dunes for thousands of years， although given many surprise attacks by sandstorms， Crescent Spring still gurgles clear， and still remains worthy as the first spring in the desert.In the early 1990s， its area had shrunk to only 1.37 acres(5，500 m2) with an average depth of 0.9 meter (maximum 1.3 meter). In 2006， the local government with help of the central government started to fill the lake and restore its depth; its depth and size have been growing since then.You may be wondering how this desert wonder took form. Research has discovered that in this special crescent landform the wind created this depression. As the crossventilated theory states， the falling sands from the surrounding mountains would be sent back to the other side of nearby Echoing-Sand Mountains. Thus， the sands do not smother the spring. And this particular earth movement keeps the sand dunes and spring eternally in a harmonious and almost paradoxical existence.Here you can enjoy not only the rare view where an oasis meets the desert， but also some fun sand adventures， such as riding camels， “dune surfing” sand sliding. When climbing to the top of the dunes， you can’t help but marvel at the dramatic view. You have discovered the wondrous sight of the Crescent Spring.
