Dunhuang

In far northwest China along the Mongolian border with little surrounding it but desert sand and mountains, Dunhuang feels like it's on a completely different planet when compared to the rest of China. In times of antiquity it was a stop on the Silk Road due to its proximity to the Crescent Lake oasis, and as such it represented one of the farthest western extensions of the Great Wall.

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From the moment one lands, brown is the dominant color palette. The tarmac, terminal building, and surrounding landscape are all minor variations of gray and light brown shades. In all of my travels, to this day it remains the truest sensation I've ever had of feeling like I had landed in the middle of nowhere.

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One of my favorite pictures from this trip for the dueling emotions it evokes in me whenever I see it: the sheer size of nature coupled with the insignificance of man. Driving in a relatively modern city and then looking up through the front windshield and seeing that far ahead -- well, let's just say that nature constantly reminds you in this part of the world that it is in charge. You get the feeling it could swallow you up at any moment if it wanted to.

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A couple of shots of the beauty and enormity of Mingsha Shan, the "singing sand mountain" so named for the sound of the wind whipping off the dunes.

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What does one do in the desert? Ride camels, of course!

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The purpose of our camel ride and why most people journeyed so many thousands of miles across hostile terrain -- to catch a glimpse of the mystery that is Crescent Moon Lake, an oasis that is impossibly tiny and completely surrounded by high sand dunes, yet somehow survives through the centuries. There is also an attractive temple complex next to the water.

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I like this picture for the oddness of color. I'm at an even elevation with the main temples buildings shooting what should be a relatively normal scenic horizontal photograph. But the background consists entirely of sand! Those massive sand dunes literally tower over everything else in the area.

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Due to its location as an outpost on the ancient Silk Road, Dunhuang became an important Buddhist pilgrimage site. From the 4th to the 14th centuries, visiting monks painted the interior of hillside caves with beautiful murals. Today the Mogao Cave complex forms a system of 492 temples, many of which are open to the public and can be visited with guides. Unfortunately photography is not allowed inside any of the caves, so the only pictures I have of the area are the same as anyone else who's been there -- of the striking structure below that stands at the entrance to the caves.

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Just outside the Mogao Caves area, a photograph I took just to show the bleakness of the landscape.

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The vibrant color of the paintings inside the caves stands in stark contrast to the dreary brown landscape outside. In a way, the caves served as a slice of heaven in an otherwise hellish landscape. The concept of "flying angels" is a pronounced characteristic of the Buddhism practiced in this part of the world and was a common theme of many murals. Since traditional Buddhism tends towards the austere, I found these depictions of angels to be fascinating in their aberration. Maybe bordering the Islamic world with their idea of heaven and legions of virgins has had some sort of influence on Buddhists here? Since I couldn't take pictures inside the caves, I decided to take a bunch of colorful pictures of the flying angels souvenirs available in the many (of course) nearby gift shops.

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Day & night shots of the giant flying angel statue in the center of Dunhuang city.

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Flying angel decor in our Dunhuang hotel.

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One of the highlights of the trip, an amazing dance and culture show that brings the concept of flying angels to life.

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A few shots of the hinterlands well outside the city. Beautiful certainly, but I assume that life here would not be easy.

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Back at our hotel for a final splash of color.

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Good night!