First time experiencing the ‘Green Leather train’! We took the 10 hours overnight train ride from Wuwei city and arrived in Dunhuang city. Despite the low temperature, we still headed to the 5 stars tourist attract – Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring. Mr. Charles Oon and Mr. Richard Zhang took a helicopter and toured around the 78 km Great Desert. It was a spectacular experience overlooking the desert at such a high altitude.
We visited the renowned “Mogao Caves” in Dunhuang city and got to see the Chinese Buddhist art from the BC centuries to the 14th century. Inside the red tower behind us was a seven-story temple housing a 28 metres tall Buddha statue sculpture from the Tang Dynasty. (Fig 1 & 2). From Figures 3 to 6, there were beautiful Mogao cave paintings and sculptures behind every small door. Many cultural relics were still very well preserved, allowing us viewers to witness these precious treasures!
The “Dunhuang Festival” evening light desert dance show was performed on a chilly night but the dancers were burning with passion and enthusiasm. The revolutionary moving stage allowed the performance to have five different scenes. It’s definitely a ‘must-watch’ performance with the gorgeous lights and plots of the history of Dunhuang city and Silk Road.