Echoing-Sand Mounain (Mingsha Shan) - Located 6 kilometers (3.73 miles) south of Dunhuang city, Echoing- Sand Mountain which is also known as the sand dunes of Mingsha, offers superb picture-book desert scenery. The dune, surrounded by rolling ridges and precipitous cliffs, reaches a relative height of 250 meters (820 feet).

The climb to the top of the dunes is sweaty work, but the dramatic view back across the rolling desert sands towards the oasis makes the effort worthwhile. To get to the top, visitors can ride bicycles or hire a taxi. Camel rides can also be arranged by local travel services. Descending the dunes is quite simple - slide down the dune to the sound of "rumbling sands" or the sound of thunder or a drum-roll as the wind sweeps across the sands. The thunder-like sound produced when sliding down along the sands is tremendous!

Legend has it that in ancient times a Chinese general had his army camped in the dunes beside the Crescent Lake. Noise from the encampment attracted the enemy, who attacked in the dead of night. The Han army beat their war drums to call the troops to arms. Suddenly, in the middle of the battle, a fierce wind blew up, filling the sky with sand and burying both armies. This is why, to this day, the wind blows across the sands surface to the roll of war drums.

Related Tours: China Silk Road Tour