"Before, I had heard a lot about a land that, although sunny and windy, has many cultural and historical values. And that is Gansu." As a person passionate about learning about the Silk Road, travel blogger Nguyen Quoc Thai always wanted to have the opportunity to go to Gansu (China) to see and touch the traces of one of the important trade arteries of the past.
With many famous landmarks such as Jiayuguan, Dunhuang or the first section of the Great Wall, Gansu is one of the goals that Quoc Thai set out to visit. After 3 years of the pandemic, when everything gradually became more stable, he was able to touch his dream of Gansu.
As a person who loves to learn about the Silk Road, Mr. Quoc Thai had the opportunity to set foot in the land of Cam Tuc.
Some destinations in Gansu
Mogao Caves
"Mogao Grottoes is the most famous spot in Dunhuang that no tourist group can miss. At first, I thought this would be the most boring place here because I had no idea about seeing the Buddha Caves. But I was wrong, Mogao Grottoes is more worth going than I imagined," Mr. Thai shared.
Architecture at the Mogao Caves
The Mogao Caves are a system of 492 temples in Donghuang, Gansu, China, about 25 km southeast of the city center. Known as Thousand Buddha Caves or Dunhuang, they are not actual caves, but rather a collection of unique rock carvings.
It houses the world's largest and only well-preserved Buddhist art treasure trove. The Mogao Grottoes are world-famous for their Buddhist sculptures and murals, which have been a source of artistic expression for thousands of years.
"Most of the historical sites and scenic spots in Gansu require tickets. The entrance ticket to Mogao costs 268 yuan (about 886,000 VND), including 180 yuan for eight caves, 68 yuan for two movies, a historical movie and a 360-degree movie about the caves in the Mogao cave system. However, the 110 yuan ticket sells out very quickly, especially not for foreigners," he added.
Currently, only about 80 caves are open to visitors, the rest are under maintenance. The number of caves and the number of caves open will change depending on the management board of the relic.
Mogao Caves have long been recognized by Unesco as a world cultural heritage because each cave has many frescoes and Buddha statues that have been preserved for thousands of years.
A corner of the Mogao Caves - home to the world's largest and only intact preserved Buddhist art treasure
Minh Sa Mountain - Crescent Spring
According to Mr. Quoc Thai, these two places are actually in the same area. However, because this area is very large, it is called by two names: Minh Sa Son and Nguyet Nha Tuyen. Nguyet Nha Tuyen is a natural crescent-shaped lake surrounded by the Gobi desert. This part of the desert makes a sound when the wind blows, so it is called Minh Sa Son.
If you come here in the summer, you will see a lot of tourists from all over. In the Minh Sa Son area, there are many activities, from sandboarding, moon-flying in the desert, paragliding to camel riding.
Camel riding at Minh Sa Son
"Visitors should come here in the afternoon instead of the morning. Around 5 to 6 o'clock is reasonable, at this time the weather is less hot, and you can watch the sunset and take pictures of Nguyet Nha Tuyen in the evening when the lights are on. To see a beautiful sunset, you have to climb the sand hill for about 30 minutes, which is quite tiring. You can use a weather app to watch the sunset and climb. Because everyone is climbing the sand hill to watch, sometimes you have to wait for the person in front to move forward. However, the sunset is really amazing, not to be missed. I really love the sunset in Dunhuang," said Mr. Thai.
Sunset at 10pm at Crescent Spring
Move
There are many ways to get to Dunhuang. Before, when there was no high-speed train, it took dozens of hours to get to Dunhuang. Now, traveling has become easier, visitors can take a high-speed train to Dunhuang from Xi'an, Xining or Lanzhou. The travel time is more than 6 - 8 hours but it is better than taking the train which usually takes 13 - 14 hours. Flight and train tickets can be purchased on Trip and paid by Visa/Master card.
Accommodation, food and beverage services, weather notes
Summer in Gansu is always a bustling tourist season, attracting a large number of tourists from all over. This area is known for its variety of accommodation services, however, because of the peak tourist season, booking at least a month in advance is necessary to avoid the situation of no rooms available.
Although the temperature in the morning is still quite pleasant, from noon to afternoon, the temperature suddenly increases to 39 - 40 degrees Celsius. Visitors should remember to bring sunscreen, long-sleeved shirts, jackets, sunglasses and hats to protect their health and avoid heatstroke.
Nightlife in Gansu is quite vibrant.
Crescent Spring lights up at night
In Gansu, life is quite slow, a day only really starts from 9 to 10 am and ends at 1 am when it is really dark. Nightlife in Gansu and Dunhuang is very vibrant, eateries and restaurants are often open until 2 am. Visitors can enjoy the specialties as well as experience the nightlife here. Sharing with Travellive, Mr. Thai also added: "Here, people stay up late and sleep late. The nightlife really only starts at 10 pm, so eating late here is considered dinner."
People in Dunhuang, like those in other cities, are easy-going and hospitable, always willing to offer guests a glass of cool peach juice - a Dunhuang specialty, even if they are strangers. Coming to Gansu, visitors cannot miss dishes such as hand-pulled yellow noodles with donkey meat, famous Lanzhou beef noodles or a whole plate of steamed chicken, all of which are delicious.
The land where "the sun never sleeps"
In a conversation with Travellive, Mr. Quoc Thai mentioned Dunhuang a lot and it was also the place he liked the most during this trip. "I had read a lot about an oasis in the middle of the desert, where thousands of merchant groups passed by and stopped every day. The beauty of Dunhuang is described as a fairyland in the middle of the arid desert with Minh Sa Mountain, Nguyet Nha Tuyen - a natural lake that has existed for a long time but is hidden under the sand dunes of the Gobi desert. Or even Mogao Cave, a witness to the prosperity and decline of Dunhuang-style Buddhism in particular and the reputation of this land in general."
Visitors here often transform into Dunhuang Feitian and take photos.
The beauty of Dunhuang is described as a fairyland in the middle of a barren desert.
At Dunhuang - Mingshashan, Crescent Spring, he experienced what it was like to see the "sun never sleep" when watching the sunset on the Gobi desert, because the sun did not set until 10:30 pm. Mr. Thai will also not forget the surprise when he saw with his own eyes each image, pattern, and motif of the Apsara fairies flying on the floor of Mogao cave, with a very long historical value of nearly a thousand years. And more special was seeing the 7-color rainbow mountain sparkling in the early morning sunlight, which is also one of the very few places in the world where one can admire this special landscape. All the experiences here for him are unreal, unforgettable.
Some impressive pictures of the trip:
Jiayuguan is a city gate located at the western end of the Great Wall of China during the Ming Dynasty.
Jiayu Pass - one of the main passes of the Great Wall
That Thai Dan Ha platform 1
That Thai Dan Ha platform 4 - also the place with the most beautiful 7-tone color
Some tips when traveling to Gansu:
1. Summer temperatures are very high, winter is very cold so you need to find out information carefully to prepare warm clothes, sunscreen and long-sleeved jackets. In summer, the sun sets very late, around 10 pm so the daytime is longer than the nighttime.
2. Almost no one in Gansu speaks English, but you can use translation software to communicate with them.
3. You should depart to the locations early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid heat shock. To have beautiful photos with few people, you should go in the summer.
4. You can use Alipay wallet or cash. Avoid using large denominations in cash because you will not have enough change.
5. The fruits in Dunhuang in particular and Gansu in general are quite delicious, especially grapes, melons, and watermelons which are specialties of the region. You can buy dried nuts, dried peaches, raisins, and dried apples as gifts.
