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     The name, Dunhuang, originates from the Han Dynasty. The Emperor Wudi named the area, "Dun," which means grand and "huang," which means prosperity. The name was symbolic of the emperor's desire to open the area as a trade route in the second century, BC, to the Western Regions. The trade route came to be known as the "Silk Road." As a result, Chinese commerce and goods flourished in a trade exchange with India, the Middle East, and Europe. Buddhism was one of the by-products of trade, and its influence in China can be clearly seen in Dunhuang and throughout China. The Magao Grottoes or "1,000 Buddha Caves" is one of the most famous. Work in the caves commenced in 366AD and continued for a thousand years. The paintings and more than 3000 painted sculptures represent the best preserved artistic record of medieval Chinese civilization. The Caves consist of 492 caves with 25,000 square meters of wall paintings and more than 3,000 painted sculptures.

Crescent Moon Lake lies 6 kilometers from the center of Dunhuang in the Singing Sand Mountains. Spring water trickles into a depression between towering sand dunes. The crescent shaped oasis is a very rare sight in the Gobi Desert, and has been a welcomed sight for travelers throughout the centuries.

      Six kilometers south of Dunhuang, is the Echoing-sand Mountain, which covers 40 kilometers. The peak is surrounded by rolling ridges and steep cliffs. The Mountain and surrounding peaks are in essence massive sand dunes, and are an incredible sight to behold.

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