Yueya Spring — Attraction in Dunhuang City

Not a mirage in the desert but a sparkling gem that stands out amongst the sand. This crescent-shaped pool of water is the spring of an oasis approximately 6km south of Dunhuang. Its name Yueyaquan (moon crescent spring) was coined in the Qing dynasty. The depth and size of the spring fell to such alarming levels in the 1990s that work was initiated to reinstate the spring to its original state. When we see photos of visitors around the spring, there are the inevitable and ubiquitous spots of florescent orange. The reason is that before passing through the gates at the entrance, visitors have to tie on a pair of cloth shoe protectors in florescent orange. In order to keep the fine desert sand from getting into one's shoes, these protectors go up to ones knees - so lots of orange in the desert sand! The protectors also make walking on the sand easier as the surface area of our soles has been enlarged. Once you reach the beautiful wooden pagoda and the adjacent temple, make sure you take photos of yourself with the buildings and the desert as backdrop. You will be able to capture a strong sense of emptiness and vastness. Also make sure you walk up to the top of one of the higher sand dunes from which you will see infinitely many more, stretching all the way to the horizon - the Gobi. With sufficient time, it's recommended you go on a camel, a caravan of camels to be exact, ride - very impressive when it's a train of 20-30 camels. It will be especially memorable if you happen to come on a windy day as I did. My head was totally covered by 2 scarfs and sunglasses to shield from the piercing sand. Though I was on the camel's back for just an hour, it was enough for me to experience what traders travelling on the Silk Road hundreds of years ago had felt. I could imagine how arduous and dangerous such a journey would have been which covered thousands of kilometers, and months,...

Crescent Lake or Yueyaquan (named in the Qing Dynasty 1644-1912) is a crescent-shaped lake in an oasis Gobi desert, which is surrounded the numerous sand dunes. It's located north of the Echoing-Sand Mountain and about 6 km south of the city of Dunhuang in Gansu Province, China.

At 4 m to 7 m deep, the lake is suspiciously deep considering its isolated location in the middle of a sun-scorched desert

It was originally a part of Danghe River, but left as a separate lake when Danghe River changed its course.

The lake has never been covered by sand brought by strong wind from history up to now. Scientific investigations explain that the subterranean streams of Danghe River continuously replenish the lake to keep the water balanced. The other reason is that because the lake is nestling among the dunes with the southern and northern sides higher than the eastern and western ones. The wind blows along the dune slopes. It rotates upwards suddenly from the southeast entrance with sand, up to top and then out of the northwest exit.

It's said that, in its heyday, Yueyaquan played a focal role as one of the major rest stops along the ancient Silk Road.

A small, isolated town sets on the edge of the water, but since shuttle buses can bring visitors to the area, it’s one of the few easily accessible...

This is one of those places that look way better in pictures than in real life. It's incredibly crowded, such that the dunes are blanketed with tourists. The water in the lake is a dull brown, and its level is receding. The buildings surrounding it are modern concrete constructions, and are garishly lit up at dawn and dusk. The camel ride sounds cool until you realise that you'll be part of a hundreds-long caravan of other riders, and that photographs cost extra. The powered hang glider flight sounds even cooler, which is why it's even more disappointing when you realise you're paying ¥480 for a 3 minute up-and-down flight, plus an extra ¥200 for the video (you can't take your phone on the flight). At least the climb up the sand dune is free, and although rather exhausting, is a worthwhile experience

If you've made it all the way out to Dunhuang, then you might as well visit here; just temper your expectations. Sunrise is the best time to go, because there are hardly any people then, the ATV/desert safari ride (which is fun and good value) has no line, and the sunrise itself is a...