Three-day Freedom in Dunhuang: Exploring the Millennium Mogao Grottoes and Silk Road Culture
Day 1: The Mogao Grottoes-Crescent Spring in Mingsha Mountain-and then look at Dunhuang.
It's about 20 kilometers from downtown to Mogao Grottoes in the morning, and it takes about half an hour by car. Mogao Grottoes is the largest existing Buddhist art site in the world, and it is called the four largest grottoes in China together with Yungang Grottoes in Datong, Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang and Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui.
The Mogao Grottoes was founded in 366, two years earlier than the Qin Dynasty in the Sixteen Kingdoms period. It was built in the Sixteen Kingdoms, the Northern Dynasties, the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Five Dynasties, the Xixia Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty and other dynasties, forming a huge scale. There are 735 caves built in the past dynasties, with 45,000 square meters of murals, 24 colorful Buddha statues in Tang and Song Dynasties, and 5 wooden eaves. Among them, the nine-story building rebuilt in the early Republic of China is the landmark building of Mogao Grottoes.
In the Mogao Grottoes, you can enjoy murals and sculptures of different styles in different periods and feel the exchange and integration of Buddhist culture and Silk Road culture. You can choose to take a guided tour or a self-help tour. Each cave has a number and a brief introduction. However, it should be noted that due to the large number of caves, only some caves are opened for tourists to visit every day. You can inquire or consult the staff in official website and scenic spots.
In addition, due to the dark light in the cave, in order to protect cultural relics, please do not take pictures or use flash lights in the cave.
The entrance ticket price of the Mogao Grottoes is 238 yuan/person (8 physical caves in the Mogao Grottoes are 65,438 yuan +080 yuan+digital movie 48 yuan+transportation fee to and from the Mogao Grottoes is 65,438 yuan +00 yuan), or you can choose the ordinary seat of the performance of "See Dunhuang again" in the Mogao Grottoes-the Crescent Moon Spring in Mingsha Mountain is 646 yuan/person.
Peak season: April1-165438+1October 30, opening hours: 07: 30- 18: 00, ticketing time: 07: 30- 16: 00.
Off-season: 65438+ February1-March 3 1 Opening hours: 09: 00- 17: 30, and ticketing time: 08: 40- 15: 00.
Booking can be made through platforms such as official website or Ctrip. It is recommended that you make an appointment one day in advance and arrive at the gate of the scenic spot half an hour before the opening time to exchange physical tickets. The tour takes about 3-4 hours.
Take a bus back to the city from Mogao Grottoes at noon. After a short rest, you can taste local specialties. The food in Dunhuang is mainly pasta and light, and the famous ones are yellow noodles, beef noodles, yogurt and hump soup. You can try a restaurant with good reputation in the city.
In the afternoon, you can take a bus to Yueya Spring Scenic Area in Mingsha Mountain, about 6 kilometers, and the driving time is about 10 minute. The crescent spring in Mingsha Mountain is famous for its mountains, its stunning springs, its sandy movements and its amazing embrace of Yue Quan. There is a crescent spring in the scenic spot, which is known as the first spring in the desert in the world. Foshan lies the world's largest golden sand; There are rare desert wonders such as pyramid-shaped dune chains in the world.
Mingsha Mountain is a giant crescent-shaped sand mountain piled up by wind and sand, with an altitude of1715m. It is named because sand makes a sound when it is blown by the wind. This mountain consists of red, yellow, green, black, white and five colors of fine sand. Crescent Moon Spring is a crystal clear crescent moon spring, which is located in the embrace of Mingsha Mountain and forms a strange picture with Mingsha Mountain. The Crescent Spring in Mingsha Mountain is known as "one of the scenic spots beyond the Great Wall" and is one of the most representative scenic spots in Dunhuang.
In the Crescent Spring Scenic Area of Mingsha Mountain, you can experience all kinds of interesting activities, such as camel riding, sand skiing, parachuting, off-road vehicles and so on. You can also climb the top of Mingsha Mountain, overlook the panoramic view of Crescent Spring and feel the magnificence of desert scenery.
The entrance ticket price of Yueya Spring Scenic Spot in Mingsha Mountain is 1 10 yuan/person, and the opening hours are 7:00- 19:00 (summer) or 6:00- 19:30 (winter). Booking can be made through platforms such as official website or Ctrip. It is recommended that you make an appointment one day in advance and arrive at the gate of the scenic spot half an hour before the opening time to exchange physical tickets. The tour takes about 2-3 hours.
In the evening, you can enjoy the performance of See Dunhuang Again, which is an immersive experience drama directed by the famous director Wang Chaoge and performed in a "streamlined" spatial experience mode. Taking "crossing" as the guiding ideology, we can cross the time and space of the years, narrow the historical distance and let the audience experience an immersive performance.
It may take 50 steps here. You've been through it for a hundred years. Take another hundred steps, and you may meet your heart. Whether walking or watching a leisurely play, it brings people an unprecedented immersive real experience and takes you back and forth to relive the historical stories of thousands of years ago.
The performance venue is located on the west side of the Mogao Grottoes Digital Center, about 20 kilometers away from the urban area, and it takes about half an hour by car. The performance time is 20: 00-2 1: 30, and the ticket price is divided into 298 yuan/person (ordinary seat) and 588 yuan/person (supreme seat). You can book through platforms such as Ctrip. I suggest you book one day in advance and arrive at the scene half an hour before the performance. During the performance, you can follow the actors into different caves, feel different story lines and experience the immersive artistic charm.
After the performance, you can return to the city by bus, stay in a comfortable hotel and rest for one night. There are many hotels to choose from in Dunhuang, and the prices are reasonable. You can choose a hotel that suits you according to your preferences and budget.
The next day: Yumenguan-Ya Dan Geopark
In the morning, take a bus from downtown to Yumenguan, the distance is about 90 kilometers, and the journey takes about 1.5 hours. Yumenguan, located on the road to the western regions opened by Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, was the gateway to all parts of the western regions in Han Dynasty, so it was located in Xiaofangcheng in the northwest of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province. The existing city walls are complete and generally square. The ruins are 9.7 meters high, 20 meters long and 20 meters wide. They are composed of four earth walls, all made of yellow clay. There is a door on the west wall and a door on the north wall, and there is an east-west lane under the north slope, which is a post road between the Central Plains and the western countries in history.
In Yumenguan, you can feel the tragic desolation of "why should the Qiangdi complain about the willow, and the spring breeze will not go to Yumenguan". Although it is only a rammed mound relic and has lost its majesty, it is also a special experience to walk into a small town standing on the vast Gobi Desert, where you can imagine the grand occasion of that year and sigh the vicissitudes of history and time.
The ticket price of Yumenguan is 40 yuan/person, 90/ person (including sightseeing fee), and the opening time is 7: 30- 18: 00. You can book through platforms such as Meituan or Ctrip. I suggest you make an appointment one day in advance. The tour time is about 1-2 hours.
At noon, take a bus from Yumenguan to Ya Dan Geopark, about 70 kilometers, about 1 hour. Ya Dan Geopark is a special landform area formed by wind erosion. It is dominated by ridges, walls, towers, columns and residual hills, with steep side walls and different shapes and sizes. It is one of the three most beautiful Ya Dan in China. Dunhuang Ya Dan landform is the largest, most mature and most ornamental Ya Dan landform community found in the world so far.
Ya Dan Geopark is called "ghost town" because its landscape gives people a mysterious and horrible feeling, as if it were a city blown by the wind.
In Ya Dan Geopark, you can visit different scenic spots by sightseeing bus or bus, such as Golden Lion, Sphinx, Peacock, West Sea Fleet and Turtle. You can also get off in the designated area to take photos or explore, but please pay attention to safety and protect the environment, and don't climb or destroy rocks at will.
Admission price of Ya Dan Geopark 50 yuan/person sightseeing bus: 70/ person, opening hours: 6: 30- 19: 00. Reservations can be made through the official WeChat account of the scenic spot. I suggest you make an appointment one day in advance. The tour takes about 2-3 hours.
In the evening, return to the city by bus from Ya Dan Geopark. On the way, you can enjoy the beautiful sunset in the desert and feel the unique customs of Dunhuang. Find a special restaurant in the city to enjoy dinner and taste Dunhuang cuisine. If you still have energy, you can visit the night market in Dunhuang and buy some local specialties and souvenirs, such as Dunhuang paintings, Dunhuang gourds and Dunhuang jade articles.
Stay in a comfortable hotel at night and rest for one night.
Day 3: Yangguan Site-Dunhuang Museum-Shazhou Night Market
In the morning, take a bus from downtown to Yangguan station, the distance is about 80 kilometers, and the driving time is about 1.5 hours. Yangguan site is one of the two major passes in the western regions established during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, which was named after it was south of Yumen Pass. Yangguan is the throat of ancient land transportation in China and the only way of the Southern Silk Road.
There are many Han cultural relics in the scenic area, including Guyangguan site, Yangguan beacon tower, Yangguan ancient road, Shouchangcheng site, Han Great Wall, Wowachi site, Xitugou site, ancient tombs and ancient pottery kiln. Yangguan Site is an important part of China's ancient frontier defense architecture and cultural heritage, and it is also one of the most famous passes in the history of China. There is a poem that has been passed down through the ages, "Advise you to drink more, and leave Yangguan for no reason".
At the site of Yangguan, you can visit Yangguan Museum, learn about the history and culture of Yangguan, watch various cultural relics and pictures, and feel the ancient frontier scenery. You can also climb the beacon tower in Yangguan, overlook the vast Gobi and experience the perspective of ancient border guards.
The ticket prices of Yangguan Site are 50 yuan/person, sightseeing bus 10 yuan/person, 60 yuan/person for camel riding, 50 yuan/person for horse riding and 20 yuan/person for donkey riding. It is open from 8: 00 to 20: 30, and can be booked through platforms such as official website or Ctrip. I suggest you make an appointment one day in advance. The tour takes about 2-3 hours.
At noon, return to the city by bus from Yangguan site. On the way, you can enjoy the scenery along the way and feel the natural beauty of Dunhuang. For lunch, you can find a special restaurant in the city and taste Dunhuang cuisine.
In the afternoon, you can visit Dunhuang Museum, which is about 1.5km away from the urban area and takes about 5 minutes by car. The overall architectural shape and color of Dunhuang Museum are integrated with cultural symbols such as the Great Wall, beacon towers and ancient castle-style buildings, which are beautiful, solemn and generous. It is a comprehensive museum that mainly displays the history and culture of Dunhuang. It collects all kinds of cultural relics, paintings, folk customs and other exhibits, reflecting the social life, culture and art of Dunhuang in different historical periods.
In Dunhuang Museum, you can enjoy all kinds of precious cultural relics, such as wooden slips in Han Dynasty, pottery figurines in Tang Dynasty and bronze mirrors in Song Dynasty. You can also watch some Dunhuang-related video materials to understand the development, changes and cultural heritage of Dunhuang.
Admission to Dunhuang Museum is free (ID card is required), and the opening hours are:
From May/KLOC-0 to September 30th, it will be closed from 9: 00 am to 8: 30 pm every Tuesday to Sunday (1 7: 30).
65438+1October1-April 30th of the following year, from 9: 00 am to 8: 00 pm every Tuesday to Sunday18: 00 pm (closed on Monday).
Booking can be made through platforms such as official website or Ctrip. It is recommended that you make an appointment one day in advance, and the tour time is about 1-2 hours.
After checking in at night, you can go to Shazhou Night Market. As night fell, the shops in the alley lined up tables and chairs. Mutton offal, barbecue, minced meat noodles, donkey meat yellow noodles, sweet embryos, apricot skin tea ... There are not only all kinds of northwest delicacies that attract tourists and local residents, but also handicrafts and agricultural and sideline foods with rich customs.
Dunhuang's special cuisine
Yellow noodles with donkey meat: This is the most famous special snack in Dunhuang. Handmade noodles as thin as silk thread, mixed with diced donkey meat in sauce, tofu and mushrooms, eaten dry or with soup. It is the favorite of Dunhuang people.
Mutton powder soup: This is a traditional snack in Dunhuang. It is based on mutton soup, with cooked mutton slices, mutton balls, vermicelli, oil tofu, black fungus and so on. With freshly made bread, it is nourishing and refreshing.
Populus euphratica sesame seed cake: This is a special food in Dunhuang. Stewed with lasagna and braised mutton. The cake is full of meat, and people are happy to eat meat and chew noodles.
Sandwiched skin: This is a very common folk snack. Transparent skin refined from high-quality flour, cut into strips or blocks, and mixed with seasonings such as soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, garlic paste, Chili oil and mustard. , sour and spicy, flexible and refreshing.
Paoer Oil Cake: This is a typical Dunhuang traditional dessert. It is made of bean paste and bread crumbs. Crispy outside and tender inside, slightly sweet and not greasy, and rich in taste.
Apricot skin water: This is a local signature drink in Dunhuang. It is made by local Li Guangxing and boiled with apricot skin. It tastes sweet and sour after being chilled, quenching thirst and relieving summer heat.
Matters needing attention in Dunhuang tourism:
Pre-sale of tickets for Mogao Grottoes: Mogao Grottoes is the most famous scenic spot in Dunhuang. Tickets need to be purchased in advance on the "Mogao Grottoes Visit Booking Network" of WeChat official account, and cannot be purchased on site. Tickets include 8 physical caves, 2 digital movies and shuttle bus. The types and prices of tickets will change according to factors such as peak season and off-season, epidemic prevention and control. , details can be found on the applet.
Do a good job of sun protection and moisturizing: Dunhuang belongs to a warm temperate arid climate, with strong ultraviolet rays, dryness and little rain, and large temperature difference between day and night. Visitors are advised to bring enough water, sun umbrellas, sunglasses, sun hats and sunscreen and other skin care products according to their own situation. Drink plenty of water and bring warm clothes to avoid climate discomfort.
Respect local customs: Dunhuang is a multi-ethnic area, many of which believe in Islam. They don't eat pork, which is the biggest taboo in their lives. Tourists are advised to respect local religious beliefs and customs when traveling in Dunhuang, and not to make offensive or impolite moves.
Environmental protection of cultural relics: Dunhuang is a famous historical and cultural city in China, with rich cultural heritage and natural landscape. Visitors should abide by the relevant regulations when visiting the Mogao Grottoes and other scenic spots. Do not take photos, touch or damage cultural relics, litter or make noise, and maintain good tour order and environmental sanitation.
The three-day tour of Dunhuang will let you appreciate the cultural and natural charm of the Silk Road, feel the history and modernity of Dunhuang, and experience the customs and artistic scenery of Dunhuang. Dunhuang, a place worth visiting at least once in your life, a place where you can't forget to return, and a place where you are fascinated.
Dunhuang, looking forward to your arrival.