Echoing-Sand Mountain, well known as Mingsha Mountain for many Chinese, is celebrated for the sound of the moving sand. In 1994, it was acclaimed as the national key scenic spot. Together with the Crescent Spring and the Mogao Caves, the Echoing-Sand Mountain is the most popular site in Dunhuang travel.
When breezes, the sand produces gentle, dulcet sounds akin to music. At first, the sand under your feet just whispers, but the further you slide, the louder the sound until it reaches a crescendo like thunder or a drum beat. Some say that the sand is singing, while to others it is like an echo and this is how the mountain gets its name.
The sand of the mountain has many colors ranging from red to yellow, green, black and white. They are well known as the "five-color sand" which are regarded as three treasures of the local area along with the "iron-back fish" and "seven-star grass" from the Crescent Spring.
About 6 kilometers (3.73 miles) south of Dunhuang City, the Crescent Lake, sometimes being more famous than Crescent Spring, is surrounded by the Echoing-Sand Mountain, which is fairly a natural wonder in the Gobi Desert. It gets its name because of its beautiful shape resembling a crescent fallen into the desert.
The blue Crescent Spring encloses the foot of the Echoing-Sand Mountain. Through the ages, the marvelous landscape is celebrated worldwide with the reputation "a pearl north of the Great Wall”. The two enjoy the title of "The Wonders of the Gobi Desert".
Location: 5 km south of Dunhuang City,
Transportation: Visitors take mini-bus from Dunhuang Airport or railway station to the downtown area. It costs CNY 3 per person. Then they catch no.3 bus from Panxuan Road to the scenic area directly. The ticket price is CNY 1. And it costs CNY 10 - 15 to take a taxi from the downtown area to the scenic area.
Ticket: From May 1 to October 31: CNY 160
From November 1 to next April 30: CNY 80
Opening hours: From May 1 to October 31: 06:00 - 19:30
From November 1 to next April 30: 07:00 - 19:00