the Crescent Lake
Name in Chinese: 鸣沙山&月牙泉 Míng Shā Shān & Yuè Yá Quán [minsa:sæ] [jueja:tʃuæ]
Duration of Tour: Two Hours
Location: Dunhuang County, Gansu Province
Highlights: the Spectacular View of the Gobi Desert and the Lovely Crescent Lake
Reputations: One of the Top Four Attractions on the Silk Road, a National Park, a Five-star Scenic Area
The Echoing Sand Dune and Crescent Lake National Park is one of the top four attractions on the silk road. It is also known as Mingsha Mountain and Yueyaquan Lake. The park lies in the south suburb of Dunhuang. It has become a popular place of interest since the Han Dynasty(202B.C.-220A.D.). Many celebrated poets travelled to Dunhuang. They visited the park and praised the landscape of the sand dunes and the lake in their poems. The park has been designated as a five-star scenic area by the Central Government of China. It consists of two parts, the sand dunes and the Crescent Lake.
The Sand Dunes
The view of the sand dunes is amazingly gorgeous. The sand dunes often echo in sunny days. It sounds like the orchestral music. Sometimes, visitors can hear it, when they slide downhill from the top of the sand dunes.
The Crescent Lake
The Crescent Lake refers to a stunningly beautiful pool which is in the shape of a crescent moon. It is surrounded by the sand dunes. The pool measures 5 meters(16 feet) in depth, and stretches 150 meters(492 feet) from its east edge to west, 50 meters(164 feet) from its south edge to north at its widest point. There is an oasis nearby the pool, small but lovely. Some Chinese styled buildings stand in the oasis, overlooking the pool. Yuequan Tower is the highest one. It is a four-storey wooden building named after the Crescent Lake.
How to Get to Mingsha Mountain and Yueyanquan Lake
The park is located about 5 kilometers(3 miles) to the south of downtown Dunhuang. Dunhuang is a county in Northwestern Gansu Province. The distance between Dunhuang and Lanzhou is about 1,100 kilometers(683 miles). There is an airport in Dunhuang. But the airport is quite small, operating only a few flights to some of domestic cities within Mainland China, such as, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Xi’an and Urumqi. However, tourists prefer to start their journey along the silk road from Xi’an, travelling to Dunhuang by car and bullet train.
Photography Tips
A tripod, a filter, telephoto lenses and wide angle lenses are needed. Do not miss the photographic golden hours, sunrise and the sunset at the crescent lake. The park is also an ideal place to take photos of the starry sky.
Travel Tips:
1. The sun’s ultraviolet rays are responsible for both tanning and burning. Please pack the suncream, sunglasses and sunhats for your tour along the Silk Road.
2. In the summer, visitors are allowed to stay in the Sand Dune and the Crescent Lake National Park as late as 9:30 P.M., so that they can enjoy the beautiful sight of starry sky. It is quite hot in the afternoon between 1:00 P.M. and 3:00 P.M. at the sand dune. It is highly suggested not to go to visit the park before 3:00 P.M..
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Author: Tina Luo
Update:
