Dunhuang

Today you will visit the "Mogao" grottoes. It is said that in the fourth century a Buddhist monk had a vision of 1000 Buddhas, and began to carve grottoes into the sandstone cliff and fill them with Buddhist images. They were abandoned and forgotten in around the 11th century until archaeologists arrived to carry away huge quantities of manuscripts, textiles and other art objects. However Mogao remains a brilliant trove of statues and wall paintings from the 4th to 10th centuries.

After lunch you will visit Crescent Lake and Echoing-Sand Mountain (Mingsha Shan). Crescent Lake is a lake in the oasis near the city Dunhuang. Rumor has it that there is a lake monster living in this lake.

These attractions are essentially part of the same area. The Crescent Lake is within the Sand-Mountain. This lake is apparently an oasis surrounded by the highly sandy area composed of high dunes. The Mingsha Shan is so named for the sound of the wind whipping off the dunes. Along the side of the Crescent Lake is a pagoda in traditional Han Chinese architecture. After dinner you will stay overnight at the "Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel" (4*).