-
The city was founded by Emperor Wudi of the Han dynasty in 111 BC at the cross roads of two trading routes on the [wiki=388f7bbd349d924e8b156c6fc777f262]Silk Road[/wiki], and the name 'Dunhuang', meaning to 'to flourish and prosper,' gives some indication of the town's prominence in ancient [wiki=ae54a5c026f31ada088992587d92cb3a]China[/wiki]. It is much less important today.
-
-
By plane
Dunhuang Airport (IATA: DNH) is 13km east of town center. Flights are available to [wiki=78fb473f134eed43c959f9ebdeeb4050]Beijing[/wiki], [wiki=53e9fb001ca574c9c4df7c452448334b]Lanzhou[/wiki], [wiki=c46e51c263ff26fbce724bc34c4c0cdd]Urumqi[/wiki], and [wiki=0161bb061215dd12cf010e11e2031971]Xian[/wiki]. There is now a taxi stand at this airport (Sept 2013). Taxis do not run on meters and the charge is 50yuan for trip to city.
If you can get your hotel to pick you up, please do so. There can be shuttle busses which arrive when planes come, but these can be full, resulting in a long wait (1 hour) for a vehicle if you're not prepared.
The airport and train station are just 10 mins walk away. So one can take walk to the train station to take the bus to the city.
-
By train
Dunhuang Train Station (敦煌火车站; Dūnhuáng Huǒchēzhàn) is about 12km outside the town to the northeast. There is also a ticket agent in town, across the street from Dunhuang Hotel, which sells tickets for most trains. Note that the train connection to Dunhuang is relatively new.
Travel times and train numbers for departures from Dunhuang as of early 2008:
* [wiki=f56aadbb0af9761263bfb5605ac6afb2]Jiayuguan[/wiki] - #7528, departing at 16:10, arriving at 21:49; also departing at 04:48, arriving at 09:27
* [wiki=53e9fb001ca574c9c4df7c452448334b]Lanzhou[/wiki] - #N858, dep. 19:25, arr. 09:14
* [wiki=0161bb061215dd12cf010e11e2031971]Xian[/wiki] - #K592, dep. 09:39, arr. 09:26
* [wiki=93b3bad5f466af8bfe16da88ca6b48b4]Yinchuan[/wiki] - #N854, dep. 14:30, arr. 08:27
The Dunhuang train station is pretty quiet as most trains stop at Liuyuan (柳园), a couple of hours away from the city.
-
By bus
Dunhuang has two bus stations diagonally across from each other. Most frequent buses leave from the main bus station and not the long distance bus station.
* [wiki=a2e3524ce7f075a4f846bdb31f0e7dab]Golmud[/wiki] - takes about 15 hours
* [wiki=7102f809eb01bd66352573805a74731a]Hami[/wiki] - takes about 6 hours （daily 8:30,14:00 81 Yuan Apr 2013)
* [wiki=f56aadbb0af9761263bfb5605ac6afb2]Jiayuguan[/wiki] - takes about 4-8 hours
* [wiki=53e9fb001ca574c9c4df7c452448334b]Lanzhou[/wiki] - takes about 17-24 hours
* [wiki=9babe783b82001ad624d62a54547a8ef]Liuyuan[/wiki] - takes about 3 hours
* [wiki=1de7b02941d7f3e59479fd39139696fc]Xining[/wiki] - takes about 20 hours
* [wiki=b5612cc6d3b86f74adea39395601a8f8]Zhangye[/wiki] - takes about 13 hours
-
-
A [wiki=d8a9b665cf6b311b9557019e63670643]UNESCO World Heritage Site[/wiki] filled with exquisite Buddhist art and manuscripts. Although the city had an early connection with Buddhism due to the passage of monks traveling the Silk Road, it was not until a monk had a vision of a thousand Buddhas above the desert at Dunhuang in 4th century that the famous caves were excavated and filled with the manuscripts and treasures. People will tell you that it is not possible to tour the caves on your own and all visitors are assigned to different guides, but after you enter the first cave in a group you can walk around the rest at will without a guide and no-one minds. The tour takes about two hours and 12 caves will be visited Oct 2013); all the rest are closed. if you're wandering around you can cover all the caves without rushing in 90 mins. The tours are different from group to group with every group visiting the main caves. The guide said that the number of visitors may be limited and advanced booking needed in the future. You can arrange to visit closed caves, It will cost you ¥200 per person and per cave. Note that It can be handy to bring your torch. Worth a visit even if you don't pay the steep entrance fee and tour the caves, as the museum is free to enter and contains replicas of several caves, and there are a few small temples you can easily hike to in the nearby hills.
For information, during the cultural revolution the Buddha and some painting was destroyed. Main painting of the cave was restored around 1995. Well, restored, but restored ! As of Jan 2014, the 35 meter tall Buddha statue is again open to the public after a lengthy restoration. As of July 2014 tickets must be purchased at the brand new visitor centre, 8km from Dunhuang centre. It is not possible to buy a ticket without the additional access to the movies and bus. There was no operational ticket office at the cave site itself and the road to the caves did not appear to join the main road, making it difficult to visit the cave site by taxi or private car. The first movie explains the history of the site on the silk road while the second is a very impressive 3D movie of some of the caves which are off limits to tourists. From July 2015, you have to buy your ticket on the website of "Dunhuang Research Academy" (http://public.dha.ac.cn/index.html). Here (http://www.mgk.org.cn/) you can book the tickets but only for chinese speakers. The number of visitors is now limited to 6000 a day.
* Worth a trip. If you're not interested in seeing the lake from up close and just want to walk among the dunes just follow the fence to the right from Charlie Jongh's Dune Guesthouse. After a couple of minutes you will find an open gate and a path leading up to the dunes. From the top of the one on the left, you can see the lake.
* It consist of a small forest of rare poplar trees (Populus Divesifolia). Some are more than 600 years old. Can give an opportunity for a walk far from town.
* The construction of this 12 meters stuppa has been ordered by Kumarajiva, a Buddhist translator, in honor of his horse which died in transporting him to Dunhuang, in 384.
*Rebound Pipa statue is the symbol of Dunhuang, is located in the urban circle Flower Island Center, bar, and an even Highway South Road intersection in this. The statue through about 5 meters high, very graceful indeed, plump body, dance a benevolent and kind countenance, focus on the right leg, left leg lift back toward the front, Pipa behind the palm faces on the rebound.
*Ruins of the gate which used to mark the westernmost point in ancient China. One-day bus tours also covering remainings of the Great Wall from the Han dynasty and Yadan National Geological Park with impressive rock formations in the desert area can be booked at Dunhuang Hotel(敦煌宾馆), around ¥400.
-
Performances of singing and dancing in the Silk Road traditions.
* Get to know the desert firsthand on a 2 to 7 day camel trek across spectacular sand dunes. A typical trek goes for 3 days and includes a visit to the Mogao Cave. Alternately, just camp out in the desert for a night to experience the Gobi Desert's night sky, sunset and sunrise. If you don't have much time you can have a one day tour with staying in the desert and riding to the Mogao Cave in the morning (400 RMB p.P.).
* Dunhuang Yadan National Park, also called Devil City, is 2 hours northwest of the city. A bus seat can be gotten for ¥9, with admission being ¥40 for park entrance plus ¥80 for the tour of the landforms.
* Quad bikes rented by the hour (400-500 yuan per hour), go racing around the dunes.
-
Good dried fruits and nuts (walnuts, dates, raisins, apricots, small tomatoes...). Many souvenirs. Note that some people sell wood stamps, pretending It's made from the rare Huyang tree, but It's not. Huyang Tree is too soft to be carved.
-
There's a normal-priced supermarket opposite the long-distance bus station (beside Feitian Binguan) to stock up on water, snacks and other groceries.
* Reasonably priced western meals available. Very helpful staff.
* It's a bit pricy and the portions are pretty small.
* Lamb, potato, mushroom, bread... skewers; yogurt.
* Own by a lively small lady, eager to introduce you to her home cuisine. Tasty rice noodles with authentic sauces. Chinese speaker handy.
* A nice quiet pizza restaurant (only one in town) with good easy to read menu with English and pictures. Free wireless internet and decent relatively cheap coffee. They also do deliveries if you can speak Chinese.
* Run by an Oklahoman (he's actually from Illinois), this cafe has good coffee, milkshakes, and a small menu with pizza and hamburgers. The wifi is fast. Closed 2014 - a new milkshake place with the same name has opened around the same area. It was opened by a former staff member from the old place. He speaks English and wifi is available.
*Very good Sichuan cuisine at very affordable prices. Although they don't speak English, they do have English menu. But it's best to look at other tables for things you like and take a pick from there. Certainly a place not to be missed.
*Serves cheap but very tasty Chinese pork burger (hilariously claimed to be the origin of hamburger). A combination of slow cooked fatty pork, garlic, green peppers, and other Chinese spices stuffed inside a dense and crispy charcoal baked flat bread. This hearty pork burger is only 8 yuan a piece (as of April 2013), other meats and various soups are also available.
* Excellent, fresh noodles. Plate costs 10RMB and is massive. Hardly any beef, though. Look for the green sign.
-
-
-
Budget
Note that the hostels close to the sand dunes looked closed in winter
* Xuqing is a wonderful host and will help you out with planning activities. English is limited, but not a problem as she uses a translator. The hostel is very clean, with great bathrooms. A bit difficult to find, but once you're here, you'll love being out of town! ¥2 bus (bus #3) into town. 敦煌山泉山庄青年旅舍 is located in near Mingshan Mountain and other guesthouses in Dunhuang. Free WiFi. Each private room here has TV, air conditioning and private bathroom. 24-hour front desk. Open in winter.
*Good location in the city center, well connected to the sites and bus/train stations by minibus. Walking distance from the bus station. Open in winter.
* Double room for ¥300 (Oct 2013), clean, hot water, good location.
*
The whole place is a very rundown, with dirty and smelly shared toilets. Toilet paper baskets are not emptied until they are overflowing. Flies are prevalent not only in the bathrooms but in the courtyard as well. Showers usually lack hot water and do not drain properly (one drain for 5 showers). It looks like there is a restaurant but it has not been open in some time. WiFi avaliable. Staff speak only basic english but is helpful. laundry 10 yuan per load. The whole place feels like ten years ago it could have been something special, but since then it has fallen apart. During my stay (July 2015) it is mainly used by Chinese tourists. Avoid if possible.
* Currently under renovation (April 2015), but it looked very nice with an open air courtyard. I imagine this will be popular once opened. Location is right in the centre of town behind the mosque. Previously known as Charlie Johng's Hostel but now a new owner.
* Double rooms are expensive at ¥170. However they are spotlessly clean (as is the entire hostel) and some of the staff speak English, if somewhat monotonously. This is a good option if everything else is booked. Laundry dries almost instantly if placed on the roof due to the desert sun. On Shazhou North road north of the Beichen market.
*
*
* Big place made out of many small cabins/huts, like a tiny village, filled with trees, swings and hammocks. Nice, relaxed atmosphere. Hot showers, free internet/wifi, and at least one english speaking staff member. Also substantially cleaner than the Dune Guesthouse next door. Mainly Chinese guests.
*Nice clean hotel set back from the road. Friendly staff. En-suite room cost ¥100 in May 2013.
-
Mid-range
*
-
Splurge
Nice and clean hotel. Chinese/western restaurant. Roof-top cafe with beautiful views on the dunes, breakfast served here too. English speaking staff. Baby cot available.
-
-
[wiki=388f7bbd349d924e8b156c6fc777f262]Silk Road[/wiki] - The route between [wiki=0de270b46c801a0920a9bdd250b99d1f]Dunhuang[/wiki] and [wiki=4ca5269a19da698dd5c581afa3e09679]Cherchen[/wiki] ([wiki=bbb020e53ea11d57f93b956ad1c82c3d]Qiemo[/wiki]) is probably the hardest to do in all of the Silk Road travels since public transit is complicated between the two points.
One leg of the trip is often closed due to washouts in the river canyon or landslides in the mountains, and is closed to most traffic in the winter. Be sure to ask, before you leave Dunhuang, whether the road between [wiki=6bec3be1392f3a9f0d11ee3167c2e1ba]Shimiankuang[/wiki] and [wiki=a2d48f94767771e1d1d4140db9122486]Charklik[/wiki] ([wiki=af991750e14f877e2dc20bd13b7f223b]Ruoqiang[/wiki]) is open.
Regular buses run daily each morning from [wiki=0de270b46c801a0920a9bdd250b99d1f]Dunhuang[/wiki], [wiki=def362996e3bf2839566094acca17372]Gansu Province[/wiki], 731 km to [wiki=a89779de421085d00bc4f9963f3ab7c7]Huatugou[/wiki] (花土沟), a small oil drilling town in northwest [wiki=d9fada9720f0fbf4181b93784f9b6130]Qinghai Province[/wiki], and daily each morning the other direction. This road, a paved highway the entire way, crosses the [wiki=60d967a46e8f9803cde5c45273dd9605]Altun Mountains[/wiki] over Dangjin Pass (当金山口, 3680 m, 39º19'14"N, 94º16'11"E) at the provincial border between [wiki=435d2348c54349e29e86820537839c17]Qinghai[/wiki] and [wiki=e3077672a876b30f01d8e92df7450de4]Gansu[/wiki] which runs along the crest of the Altun Mountains. One source says that the road rises from 1000 m to the 3680 m pass in just 20 kilometers. This road is subject to delays or closure in winter due to icy conditions.
*April 2011- the bus station in Dunhuang will not sell you a ticket to Huatugou unless you have an ATP, You cant get this permit in Dunhuang because its in Gansu province. so you have to go to the PSB in [wiki=a2e3524ce7f075a4f846bdb31f0e7dab]golmud[/wiki], and from there to take the bus to Huatugou
Twice daily minibuses run the 65 km in 1.5-2 hours for Y15 between [wiki=a89779de421085d00bc4f9963f3ab7c7]Huatugou[/wiki] and [wiki=6bec3be1392f3a9f0d11ee3167c2e1ba]Shimiankuang[/wiki] (石绵矿 literally: asbestos mine), a tiny worker hamlet north of a large surface-level asbestos mine. It's better to stay overnight in Huatugou than in the very basic lodging at the asbestos mine. Ask the Huatugou taxi driver for the Petroleum Guesthouse -- 石油 shí yóu 宾馆 bīn guǎn. There's also very basic lodging across from the Huatugou bus station -- ask the bus driver to point you in the right direction.
Some maps do not show [wiki=a89779de421085d00bc4f9963f3ab7c7]Huatugou[/wiki] (38°08'60"N, 90°52'00"E, 2,859 m) and instead show [wiki=aec2f782043a270ea61086ac7aeb7edb]Youshashan[/wiki], about 5-10 km southwest. If neither town is shown, Huatugou is just northeast of Gaz Hure Hu lake. Some maps do not show [wiki=6bec3be1392f3a9f0d11ee3167c2e1ba]Shimiankuang[/wiki] (38°15'00"N, 90°52'00"E, 3,200 m) and instead show the small oil refinery village of [wiki=3b16a2a368a69459543a2134e41613a5]Mangnai Zhen[/wiki], about 10 km southeast. If neither town is shown, [wiki=6bec3be1392f3a9f0d11ee3167c2e1ba]Shimiankuang[/wiki] is right where Highway 315 crosses the provincial border. Older maps show Shimiankuang and Mangnai Zhen in Xinjiang Province, but the area was moved administratively some years ago into Qinghai Province.
The 241 km road from [wiki=6bec3be1392f3a9f0d11ee3167c2e1ba]Shimiankuang[/wiki], at the border of [wiki=435d2348c54349e29e86820537839c17]Qinghai[/wiki] and [wiki=7934d0ba02d2e077367a33376c2acd09]Xinjiang[/wiki], to [wiki=a2d48f94767771e1d1d4140db9122486]Charklik[/wiki] ([wiki=af991750e14f877e2dc20bd13b7f223b]Ruoqiang[/wiki]), [wiki=7934d0ba02d2e077367a33376c2acd09]Xinjiang[/wiki], is a rough road, over a 4,000 m pass and through a narrow river valley as well as across the desert. This is the rough leg mentioned above.
April 2011 - the road is now paved all the way. a minibus leaves from Shimiankuangs "bus station" to Charklik at 11:00 , costs 80Y.
The minibus leaves from in front of the bus station in [wiki=a2d48f94767771e1d1d4140db9122486]Charklik[/wiki] ([wiki=af991750e14f877e2dc20bd13b7f223b]Ruoqiang[/wiki]) at 08:00 Beijing time (06:00 unofficial local time) and arrives in [wiki=6bec3be1392f3a9f0d11ee3167c2e1ba]Shimiankuang[/wiki] about 6 hours later, and generally in time to catch the afternoon minibus from [wiki=6bec3be1392f3a9f0d11ee3167c2e1ba]Shimiankuang[/wiki] to [wiki=a89779de421085d00bc4f9963f3ab7c7]Huatugou[/wiki]. The 09:00 morning minibus from Huatugou meets the minibus leaving from Shimiankuang about 11:00.
From [wiki=a2d48f94767771e1d1d4140db9122486]Charklik[/wiki] ([wiki=af991750e14f877e2dc20bd13b7f223b]Ruoqiang[/wiki]) to [wiki=4ca5269a19da698dd5c581afa3e09679]Cherchen[/wiki] ([wiki=bbb020e53ea11d57f93b956ad1c82c3d]Qiemo[/wiki]), the bus leaves at 10:00, takes 5 hours to cover the 351 km and costs 58Y. In the other direction, a daily bus leaves [wiki=4ca5269a19da698dd5c581afa3e09679]Cherchen[/wiki] ([wiki=bbb020e53ea11d57f93b956ad1c82c3d]Qiemo[/wiki]) for [wiki=a2d48f94767771e1d1d4140db9122486]Charklik[/wiki] ([wiki=af991750e14f877e2dc20bd13b7f223b]Ruoqiang[/wiki]) at 10:00.
There as buses to Delingha, but be carefull, the city is not open to tourists.
[wiki=78fb473f134eed43c959f9ebdeeb4050]Beijing[/wiki] - Although there are direct flights from Dunhuang to [wiki=78fb473f134eed43c959f9ebdeeb4050]Beijing[/wiki], they aren't cheap and are booked pretty quickly. A cheaper and less competitive alternative is to look for flight to [wiki=c46e51c263ff26fbce724bc34c4c0cdd]Urumqi[/wiki] then from [wiki=c46e51c263ff26fbce724bc34c4c0cdd]Urumqi[/wiki] to [wiki=78fb473f134eed43c959f9ebdeeb4050]Beijing[/wiki] as this route can save you almost half the price of direct flights to [wiki=78fb473f134eed43c959f9ebdeeb4050]Beijing[/wiki].
[wiki=de81dd07e1bc0a393cfe7c94bf22ecdb]fr:Dunhuang[/wiki]
[wiki=26929ba0d33d83f5555576c2fff9266e]ja:敦煌[/wiki]
[wiki=d54b09287f25e33c26f84b44d0da6757]nl:Dunhuang[/wiki]
[wiki=20503764bf92fc74d96ef148d1ac3560]wts:Category:Dunhuang[/wiki]
[[WikiPedia:Dunhuang]]
[wiki=94c397e8ca9c748f7c44c3697be6899f]Dmoz:Asia/China/Gansu/Dunhuang/[/wiki]
[wiki=64ab0630a6acd0beb68864742da07995]World66:asia/northeastasia/china/dunhuang[/wiki]
Seleccionar Destino
Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Congo, Democratic Republic (ex. Zaire)
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Curacao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Timor
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
France, Metropolitan
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard and Mc Donald Islands
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Isle Of Man
Israel
Italy
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey Island
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Other Countries
Pakistan
Palau
Palestinian Territory
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Sint Maarten
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Korea
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syrian Arab Republic
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
United States Minor Outlying Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City State (Holy See)
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands, British
Virgin Islands, U.S.
Wallis and Futuna Islands
Western Sahara
Yemen
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Spanish