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| Echoing-Sand Mounain (Mingsha Shan) |
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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 sand's surface to the roll of war drums. |
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