Dun Huang

Gateway to the Silk Road and Gobi Desert

Dunhuang sits at the edge of the Gobi Desert where the ancient Silk Road split into northern and southern routes, making it one of history's great crossroads. The UNESCO Mogao Caves contain over 45,000 square metres of Tang-dynasty Buddhist murals — the largest collection of Buddhist art on earth — while the nearby Crescent Lake oasis and Singing Sand Dunes offer a dramatic natural counterpart.

Flavour Profile

🥘 Savory

Best time to visit

🗓 April-June, September-October

Province

📍 Gansu

Tier

Hidden Gem

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What to Eat in Dunhuang

🍜

Hand-Pulled Noodles

拉条子

Silky pulled noodles tossed with roasted peppers and braised lamb

🐑

Roast Whole Lamb

烤全羊

Cumin-spiced lamb slow-roasted over desert charcoal until golden

Explore Dunhuang by theme

🏯HistoryExplore 🏮CultureExplore 🏔️NatureExplore 💎Hidden Gems1 highlight

Highlights

Yumen Pass

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A crumbling rammed-earth fort in the Gobi Desert that once controlled traffic on the Silk Road's northern route. Far less visited than the Mogao Caves, it sits alone in open desert with almost no other structures in sight.