Deutsch English Home About us Travel information Suggestion Contact us online-booking Impression Testimonial.Beijing Chengdu Chongqing Dali Datong Dunhuang Guangzhou Guilin Guiyang Hangzhou Hohhot Hongkong Kashgar Lhasa Lijiang Luoyang Nanjing Tsingdao Qinghai Shanghai Suzhou Turfan Urumqi Wuhan Xi'an Zhangjiajie Dunhuang Crescent Moon Lake The lake is 6km south of the centre of Dunhuang at the Mingsha Shan (Singing Sand Mountains), where the oasis meets the desert. Spring water trickles into a depression between huge sand dunes, forming a small, crescent-shaped pond (not be confused with the concrete storage pool nearby).More impressive than the lake are the incredible sand dunes that tower above (the highest peak reaching 1715m). The climb to the top of the dunes is sweaty work, but the towards the oasis makes it worthwhile.Mogao Caves Most of the Dunhuang art dates from the Northern and Western Wei, Northern Song, Western Xia and Yuan can also be found. The Northern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou and Tang caves are in the best state of preservation.The caves are generally rectangular or square with recessed, decorated ceilings. The focal point of each is a group of brightly painted statues representing buddha and the bodhisattvas, or buddha’s disciples.The smaller statues are composed of terracotta coated with a kind of plaster surface so that intricate details could be etched into the surface.The wall and ceiling were also plastered with layers of cement and clay and then painted with watercolour. Large sections of the murals are made up of decorative patterns using motifs from nature, architecture or textiles.Many of the caves have been touched up at one time or another. Western Thousands Buddha Caves These caves, 35km west of Dunhuang, are cut into the cliff face of scenic Dang River gorge. Many travelers skip these caves due to the popularity of the impressive caves at Mogao, however the paintings are in fact good condition and a visit is very rewarding.There are currently 16 caves still intact here, 10 of which are open to the public. The earliest caves date back to the Northern Wei dynasty (AD 618-534) and the most recent were constructed during the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907). Many of the images and stories depicted in the paintings are similar to those at Mogao. South Pass & Jade Gate Pass Some 62km south-west of Dunhuang is Yang Guan. Here, Han dynasty beacon towers marked the caravan route westwards and warmed of advancing invaders,but what remains has now largely disappeared under the shifting sands.Nearby are ruins of the ancient Han town of Shouchang. Yumen Guan, 98km north-west of Dunhuang, is also known for its ancient ruins.Caravans leaving China would travel the Hexi corridor to Dunhuang; Yumen Guan was the starting point of the road which ran across the north of what is now Xingjiang; Yang Guan was the start of the route that cut through the south of the region.Home, About Us, Travel Information, Suggestion, Contact Us, Online-booking, Impression, Testimonial and professional tour guide. Please contact us! All rights reserved

Beijing	Chengdu	Chongqing	Dali	Datong	Dunhuang	Guangzhou	Guilin	Guiyang
Hangzhou	Hohhot	Hongkong	Kashgar	Lhasa	Lijiang	Luoyang	Nanjing	Qingdao
Qinghai	Shanghai	Suzhou	Turfan	Urumqi	Wuhan	Xi'an	Zhangjiajie

Dunhuang

Gansu Provincial Museum

Located in Lanzhou City, the Gansu Provincial Museum is the biggest comprehensive museum in the province. It is one of the best sights in the city and a visit is well worthwhile. Built in 1956, the museum covers a total area of 18,000 square meters (about 4 acres). Designed by the soviet experts, this museum will provide visitors with a unique and memorable experience.

The museum is divided into two sections-natural resources and historic exhibits. It houses collections of various color-painted potteries of Neolithic Age and treasures of ancient grottoes. In addition, the museum is home to precious linen and silk fabrics, books, wooden and bronze vessels, a great many bamboo slips for writing from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220), frescos and so many other items. A 4-meter-tall Mammoth fossil replica is stored in the museum whose remains were excavated from the Yellow River basin in 1973. Aside from the prehistoric presentations, there are also rare animal exhibits, such as pandas, golden monkeys and red -crowned cranes.

The world-famous bronze Galloping Horse's Hoof Stepped on a Flying Swallow, also named as Galloping Horse, is a treasure of Gansu Provincial Museum. Excavated in 1969 in Wuwei County, Gansu Province, the piece depicts a vigorous horse with long tail waving and head perking. Its three hooves are in the air, galloping like lightening. What makes this sculpture amazing is the right back hoof of this galloping horse lands on the back of a small flying bird. The bird turns in surprise to look at the big creature on its back. At the same moment, the horse's head also turns slightly in attempt to know what has happened. The whole statue is honored as the mysterious and rare treasure in the history of Chinese ancient sculpture art.

Mogao Grottoes

Located on the eastern slope of Rattling Sand Mountain (Mingshashan) southeast of Dunhuang County in Gansu Province, the Mogao Grottoes (also known as Thousand Buddha Cave) is one of three noted grottoes in China and also the largest, best preserved and richest treasure house of Buddhist art in the world.

In AD 366, during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a monk named Yue Seng chiseled the first cave here. The endeavor continued through later dynasties, including the Northern Wei (386-534), Western Wei (535-556), Northern Zhou (557-581), Sui (581-618), Tang (618-907), Five Dynasties (907-960), Song (960-1279), Western Xia (1038-1227) and Yuan (1279-1368), resulting in the fantastic group of caves that can been seen today.

Today, 492 caves still stand, containing some 2,100 colored statues and 45,000 square meters of murals. These murals, if joined together, would cover a length of 30 kilometers. The caves vary in size. The smallest one just allows a head's space, while the largest one stretches from the foot to the top of the mountain, having a height of over 40 meters. The colored statues also differ in size, ranging from a few centimeters to 33 meters high, embodying the remarkable imagination of their makers.

Despite years of erosion, the murals are still brightly colored, with clear lines. Through pictures of different styles and schools drawn in different historical periods, they tell Buddhist stories and ways as well as life in the secular world. All these, plus a largest quantity of Buddhist sutras and relics kept in the caves have provided valuable material for a study of ancient China's politics, economy, and culture and arts, as well as its science and technology, military affairs, and religion, documenting national history as well as cultural exchanges between China and the world.

In 1987, UNESCO placed the Mogao Grottoes under the protection of the world cultural heritage list.

Labrang Monastery

Labrang Monastery is one of the six great monasteries of the Geluk (Yellow Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism, of which the Dalai Lama is a member. Labrang is located in Xiahe County in Gansu province, and also in the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo. Labrang Monastery is home to the largest number of monks outside of Tibet Autonomous Region. Xiahe is located about 4 hours from the city of Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu.

Labrang Monastery is located in the town of Xiahe, which belongs to the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The town is reflection of the different minorities that can be found in China, such as Tibetans (about 70% of the population), Hui Chinese (20%) and Han Chinese (10%).The monastery was founded in 1709 by the first Jamyang Zhaypa, Ngawang Tsondru. It is Tibetan Buddhism's most important monastery town outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

The monastery complex dominates the northern village. The white walls and golden roofs feature a blend of Tibetan and Han architectural styles. The monastery contains 18 halls, six institutes of learning, a golden stupa, a sutra debate, and nearly 60,000 sutras. There once were more than 2000 monks in residence, but now only 500, due to a twelve year closure starting in 1958. It has a Buddhist museum with a large collection of Buddha statues, sutras and murals. In addition, a large amount of Tibetan language books, including history is available for purchase, together with medicines, calendars, music and art objects.

The monastery today is an important place for Buddhist ceremonies and activities. From 4 to 17 January and 26 June to 15 July (these dates may change according to the lunar calendar), the great Buddhist ceremony will be held with Buddha-unfolding, sutra enchanting, praying, sutra debates, etc.

The monks are extremely friendly to foreigners, and use every opportunity to practice their basic English which in most cases is self-taught. Accommodation is easy to find and a great variety of articles and souvenirs are available.