Dunhuang - Gansu Province

Located in Gansu province, Dunhuang is another stop along the ancient Silk Road. An oasis town in the midst of rolling sand dunes, this was one of the first towns to embrace Buddhism as it spread eastwards from India. Dunhuang is popular among tourists for 2 main reasons. The first being the Mogao Caves, a UNESCO-recognised network of caves filled with exquisite examples of Buddhist art. The caves are only rivalled by those at Longmen and Yungang elsewhere in China. Dunhuang's second key site is the desert oasis known as Crescent Lake, lying in the midst of the 'Echoing Sand Mountain'.