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Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake Nature Park is situated at southern outskirt of Dunhuang city in Gansu Province, about 6 km away from central city. The Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake Nature Park is a popular attraction in Dunhuang to expore stunning desert scenery and take part in exciting sand dunes activities. The park consists of the Mingsha Mountain and the Crescent Lake surrounded by sand dunes of Mingsha Mountains. Dunhuang is also known as Shazhou (Town of Sand) in ancient time. This is how it gained the name.

What to see ?

For people who want to take a short stay in desert, the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake Nature Park is the best choice. It is close to the downtown of Dunhuang, without the harsh and extreme climate and convenient facilities are equipped. The easy walking trails allow different ages of tourists to explore the desert. Besides, many interesting sand dunes activities are available if you want to try something exciting.

Crescent Lake (月牙泉, Yueyaquan)

Just like its name indicates, the Crescent Lake is in a natural shape of half-moon and had been commonly considered as one of the Eight Great Landscapes of Dunhuang together with the Echoing-Sand Mountain early in 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 a deepest point of approximately 5 meters. Compared to its annual evaporation capacity of 2400 mm, Crescent Lake has an annual amount of precipitation of only 50 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 continuous source for it. Therefore, the stream has never dried up or buried by drifting sands in spite of locating among sand dunes, accurately at the foot of Echoing-Sand Mountain.

Iron back fish, five-colored sands and seven stars grass are said to be the "three treasures" of Crescent Lake and it is said that one can live eternally if he eats the fish and the grass together. Nobody knows exactly whether they exist or not, but indeed, there are some traditional Chinese medicinal plants growing by the lake, e.g. medlars and apocynum venetum, which accompany the lake day and night with traditional Chinese buildings.

Echoing-Sand Mountain (鸣沙山, Mingshashan) 

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. Completely piled by sands, the mountain stretches for 40 km in length and 20 km in widthrespectively, with the highest point reaching 250 meters. When there is wild wind, the sands will be blown up and make loud sound, while the sound sounds like being produced by some ancient musical instrument when blew by breeze, hence the name.

It is said that the current site where Echoing-Sand Mountain locates was once a fertile oasis in the ancient time. But weirdly, a war between two armies caused a gale one day and the armies and their war-horses were buried by sands finally, and the echoing sound from the Echoing-Sand Mountain is said to be the fighting sound of the war. However, more people would rather believe that the sound is made by static electricity, resonance, or friction between sands.

At Dragon Boat Festival in 1990, more than 200 people were divided into four groups to undertake a test by sliding down the Echoing-Sand Mountain. According to record, it was found that sounds of the four groups ranked between 54 db and 67 db, which is twice that of normal speaking volume – 30 db.

Things to do

Enjoying the stunning desert landscape, exploring the lendendary stories of Crescent Lake – these are not the only things to do in the park. The specific nature here offers you many exciting and interesting outdoor activities for you to have fun.