Dunhuang - an Beautiful Oasis on the Silk Road
Dunhuang is small oasis surrounded by high mountains, deserts and the Gobi Desert. It is located at the western end of Hexi Corridor in Gansu Province, China, and has a population of 140,000. It is a typical desert basin in western China, with the Qilian mountains to the south, Kumtag desert and Lop-Nur to the west, Beisai mountain to the north, and Sanwei mountain to the east. The famous Taklimakan and Tengger deserts are also located in the west and east of Dunhuang region, respectively. Compared with other cities in China it is a relatively small city. Its population numbers a little more than 100,000 people. However, every year, the city is visited by tourists numbering up to several millions.
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| Beautiful Oasis on the Silk Road |
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| Beautiful Oasis on the Silk Road |
Known as Shazhou in ancient times, Dunhuang has a time-honored history, splendid culture, a large number of historical sites to the tune of 241, including the ruins of ancient grottoes, temples and tombs, the Great Wall built in the Han Dynasty, ancient cities, beacon towers, and ancient posts.
The Dunhuang Manuscripts are a cache of around 20,000 important scrolls found in the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang. The Dunhuang manuscripts date to between the 5 th and 11 th centuries A.D., and were sealed up in a chamber in a cave, hidden for about 900 years. The re-discovery of these precious documents, however, was made completely by accident. Although Dunhuang used to be an important city on the Silk Route during the Middle Ages, it was a backwater by the early 20 thcentury.
The Dunhuang Manuscripts are a cache of around 20,000 important scrolls found in the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang. The Dunhuang manuscripts date to between the 5 th and 11 th centuries A.D., and were sealed up in a chamber in a cave, hidden for about 900 years. The re-discovery of these precious documents, however, was made completely by accident. Although Dunhuang used to be an important city on the Silk Route during the Middle Ages, it was a backwater by the early 20 thcentury.
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| Beautiful Oasis on the Silk Road |
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| Beautiful Oasis on the Silk Road |
Today Dunhuang is a cultural and tourist center. It attracts much attention of the tourists and pilgrims from all over the world. There, it is possible not only to visit places sacred for the Buddhists but also take part in traditional festivals of local boats in a form of dragons annually held in May.
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