Dunhuang Travel Guide

Silk Road cuisine blends East and West! Must-eat: donkey meat with yellow noodles (Dunhuang's signature, donkey meat + yellow noodles + garlic paste and vinegar), Dunhuang liangpi (thicker and chewier than Xi'an liangpi), mutton soup with vermicelli, apricot peel drink (brewed from Li Guang apricots, a summer heat reliever!), roast whole lamb/hand-grabbed mutton, braised lamb with flatbread. Dunhuang fruits: Li Guang apricots (June-July)/grapes (August-September) are super sweet. Spice level is not spicy, mainly salty and savory.

Mogao Caves require advance booking! Type A ticket 238 yuan (8 caves + digital film) at least one week in advance, Type B ticket 100 yuan (4 caves). D1: Mogao Caves (3-4h) + Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake (go in the afternoon, ride camels + sand sledding + watch the sunset + stargazing); D2: Dunhuang West Line — Yumen Pass + Yardang Ghost City (most spectacular at sunset). 3 days: add Yulin Caves (sister caves of Mogao, fewer crowds and exquisite murals) + Western Thousand Buddha Caves. Budget: 1500-3000 yuan.