Saying goodbye to Sinkiang, our team rode towards the Silk Road--ancient civilization city--Tunhuang. Tunhuang is one of China's early-open city.All previous govenment leaders paid visits here. The whole city is tidy, stately and elegant. Our first stops are the nearest scenic spots to Tunhuang:Singing sands mountain and Cresent Spring. We haven't seen mountains all made of sands.Now we gained our experience! The more merrier is that we rode camels instead of harley motors this time. Along the road in Sinkiang, we shot a lot of pix of Camels. Back then , we never thought we could have direct contact with camels.
To us northerners, camels are only shown to people in the zoo. All our impression about camels carrying heavy junk walking in the desert is got from movies and books. When we went to Sinkiang this time, we saw crowds of camels. And in Gansu, we even had intimate contact with camels.The Sun blazed like a fire ball. We sat high at the back of the camels, like we are the tourists on the silk road back in ancient times. The eternal prosperousness flushed back in mind.All sorts of feelings well up in our minds.If we don't have camels, like horses, being friends with man for thousands of years, how can man pass through desert and create brilliant history.
In addition, according to my own experience: the power of the camels is at least 1200cc! When they went uphills, they are full of power and can compare to infinite variable speeds!
In Singing sands mountain, we had the oppotunity of getting on delta wings, shooting Cresent spring and team flags from the sky. The cresent is really mysterious. The sands never bury the spring. They existed together really harmoniously. How wonderful is nature!!!
In the afternoon, we rode to 5A grade scenic spots 25kmfrom Tunhuang: Mogao Grottoes. Unfortunately, because Mogao Grottoes forbid tourists from taking pictures and recording. We can only let our media team searching in the photo gallery.
Passed Star gorge, we are out of Sinkiang.
Hoho, we officially entered Gansu province.
Singing sands mountain and Cresent spring scenic spots
Singing sand mountain is national grade key scenic sopts,7km from South surburbs in Tunhuang. The area is 200km2. In the east it starts from the top of Mogao Crottoes, in the west it connects reservoir. The mountain is made of fine-grain-shape yellow sands. Then fierce wind comes, the sand mountain will make a loud voice. When soft wind comes, the sound is like orchestra. So its name is Singing sands mountain. There are 2 distinctive chacracter about singing sands mountain: If you slide from the top, the sand will rattle.The footsteps after people climbing in the morning, The next day, there will be no trace at all.
The service of the spot is very thoughtful, providing shoes covers to the tourists to provent sands.Jack is cleverer, he put the team banner on his head, very exotic.
Me on top
In the spot, there is delta wings service. My love. Flying is a must.
Our riders overlooked singing sands mountain from the sky.
Taking pix of cresent spring from uphigh, exclaiming over the amazing nature.Spring coexist with desert and for thousands of years, it never dry.
Cresent spring, it called manhold in ancient times, and it is often called medicine spring. It was one of" eight sights of Tunhuang" since Han Dynasty, named" clear cresent spring"back then. It's 100m long from south to north and 25m wide from east to west. The east of the spring is deeper than the west. The deepest point is 5m. It curves like a cresent and the water is clear and sweet. It is also named" the first spring of desert".
The cresent-shape clear green spring, like jade set in golden-like sand dunes. Beside the spring, the reed is thriving. When wind comes, the surface of the lake ripples and the image of the sand mountains reflects in the spring. The whole picture is very magnificant. As to why the cresent spring never disappear dispite all fierce wind, there are many sayings. But there is no final decision.
The golden camel team, beautiful view condensed thousands of years' hardwork and lonliness.
Man's goodfriend--Camel
10 million years ago , camels live in north America. Then the ancestor camels passed through Bering strait and arrived at Asia and Africa.They evoluted into two-humped camel and solo-humped camel and they were trained by man to be man's faithful friend. Many distinctive character make them earn the name-- "the boat of desert". Here we make a simple introduction:
There is hair in camel's ears which can provent sand. Camels have double eyelid and thick eyelash which also can provent sand. There is a valve-like structure in their noses. When wind is coming, the nose can shut off freely and don't affect their breath. Their foot sole is flat and have footpad under the foot. This let camels walk freely in the desert and won't sunk into sands, and can also take loads.
Hump is a large energy-saving warehouse. it guarantee energy-providing during the long journey in the desert. Their fur is very thick and can resist the coldness in winter. In spring and summer, the thick hair fall off the body automatically until the hot season pass.
Camels are familiar with the climate in desert. When strong wind is about to come, they will drop to their knees. Then the tourists can prepre in advance according to this sign. These "equipments" and "abilities" make camels not afraid of wind and sand at all and is resistant to thirsty and hunger.They become boats carry people passing through desert.
make riding camels like riding harley. So happy
Singing Sands mountain and cresent spring is twin sisters in Gobi desert." The mountain is more famous for its magnificance, the river is more beautiful for its spirits". The tourists can overlook from the mountain or wander around the spring, they can all be overwhelmed. We can surely feel "The singing sand mountain can cultivate your inner peace and the cresent spring can clean your mind".
The south bank have a group of simple,elegeant and well-arranged buildings. From the east to the east, there are Empress house, King dragon palace,Bodhisattva palace, King Medicine Hole, the thor sets etc. In the main palaces,there are hundreds colorful scriptures and mural paintings
In the afternnon, heading towards Mogao Grottoes.On this road the sand is very naughty, here and there.
Tunhuang Grottoes, also called "Dunhuang Caves" ,commonly known as thousand -Buddha cave. It is crowned as the 20th century's most valuable civil discovery. "Eastern Louvre" is known by the world for its exquisite mural paintings and statues. It first built in former Qin dynasty, passing 16 kindoms, northern dynasty, Sui Dynasty,Tang Dynasty ,5 dynasty, Western Xia regime, Yuan Dynasty. Now it has 735 caves, 45 thousand km2 mural paintings,color mud statues 2415. It is the most large-scale and rich content Buddhism holy land
In order to protect culture relics, it's photo forbidden in Mogao Grottoes. We can only take pix outside.
Introduction to Tunhuang:
Tunhuang is a county-level city in Jiuquan city Gansu Province, a famous culture city of China. Tunhuang is located on Silk road(from ancient China to west regions,thoroughfare road of mid Asia and Europe).Once here had flourishing trade.And it is known for its " Dunhuang caves", " Tunhuang mural paintings". It have Mogao Grottoes and Yumen Pass and Yang Pass of HAN greatwall
Next chapter: Jiayu Pass
