Crescent Moon Lake

Crescent Moon Lake

This lake is 6km south of the centre of Dunhuang at Mingsha Shan, where the oasis meets the desert. Spring water trickles into a depression between huge sand dunes, forming a small, crescent-shaped pond (not to be confused with the concrete storage pool nearby).

More impressive than the lake are the incredible sand dunes that tower above (the highest peak reaching 1715m). The climb to the top of the dunes is sweaty work, but the dramatic view across the rolling desert sands towards the oasis makes it worth-while.

Out here the recreational activities include camel rides, 'dune surfing' (sand sliding) and paragliding (jumping off the top of high dunes with a chute on your back). There is also a tow-gliding operation closer to the entry gate: continue past it if you want to jump off a dune. The admission fee to the lake and dunes area includes admission to Dunhuang Folk Arts Museum.

Most people head out to the dunes at around 5pm when the weather starts to cool down. You can ride a bike out to here in around 20 minutes.