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Mingsha Shan
The Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake Nature Park are located at the southern outskirts of Dunhuang city, about 6 kilometers away from central city Shazhou, China. Seen from afar, the mountain is just like a golden dragon winding its way over the horizon. Located on the Silk Road, the Echoing-Sand Mountain is known as one of the Eight Great Landscapes of Dunhuang and one of the Four Great Singing Sands of China.
Mingsha Shan’s name originates from the loud sound the sands emit when strong winds blow, a dramatic contrast to its rumored past as a fertile ancient oasis. Right beside this unique dune is the Crescent Spring Lake, naturally shaped like a half-moon. Since the Western Han Dynasty, this striking duo has been commonly recognized together as part of Dunhuang’s Eight Great Landscapes.
The Mingsha Mountain is composed of tinny hyaline sands of five different colors – red, yellow, blue, white, and black, and winds its way up and down, showing different shapes. Some of the dunes stand like a golden pyramid, some lie like a fish scale, some wave like a snake. Filled with sand, the mountain stretches for 40 km in length and 20 km in width, respectively, with the highest point reaching 250 meters.
In ancient times, Chinese caravans traveled across the Mingsha Mountains in Dunhuang along the Silk Road to Central Asia and Europe. The Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake Nature Park is a popular destination in Dunhuang to explore stunning desert scenery and take part in exciting dune activities.
Singing Sand Dunes
Located in Dunhuang, China, the Singing Sand Dunes (Mingshashan) are a remarkable part of the Kumtag Desert, famous for the distinct drumming or singing sound they emit when the wind passes over them. Originally called the “Gods’ Sand Dunes,” their acoustic quality was noted centuries ago; the historian Sima Qian described the sound “as if listening to music.” While Dunhuang’s dunes are one of China’s four best-known singing sands, they offer a diverse tourist experience, including camel rides, ATV riding, paragliding, and sandboarding.
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So, the biggest feature of Mingsha Mountain is that the sand echoes. When there is a wild wind, the sands will be blown up and make a loud sound, while the sound sounds like being produced by some ancient musical instrument when blown by the breeze, hence the name Mingsha.
Crescent Lake Mingsha Shan
The Crescent Lake is in a natural shape of a half-moon and has been commonly considered as one of the Eight Great Landscapes of Dunhuang together with the Echoing-Sand Mountain, early in the early Western Han Dynasty (206BC-24AD).
Crescent Lake extends for nearly 100 meters from south to north and about 25 meters from east to west and has the deepest point of approximately 5 meters. Compared to its annual evaporation capacity of 2400 mm, however, the particular geographic landform around it prevents it from being buried in the desert; on the other hand, the underflows beneath it also ensure a continuous source for it.
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Desert Camping
To enjoy the best of the sunset and sunrise here, from late April to mid-October, you can choose to camp in the desert. The camping base is located at the back of Mingsha Mountain. Apart from this, many other activities like sliding down from the top of dunes with a sandboard to experience speed and passion, and listen to how the sands really echo and move in the wind are a great experience. If you want to see the dunes of Mingsha Mountain and panoramic views of Crescent Lake, you can try flying the glider.
From the city center, Dunhuang, there is a straight avenue, named Mingsha Road, leading to the gate of the park. Travelers can take a mini-bus directly from Dunhuang Airport or Dunhuang Train Station to the park.
How To Reach Mingsha Shan
To reach Mingsha Shan in Dunhuang, China, you can take a city bus (line 3) or hire a taxi to the park entrance at Mingsha Shan. For a more comprehensive experience, consider booking a private tour that includes transportation to the main attractions like the Mogao Caves and Mingsha Shan
