Dunhuang, located in the north-western Gansu province of West China is the home to the Crescent Lake and the echoing China sand mountain dunes. Dunhuang attracts a number of tourists for its magnificent natural scenery around and primarily for the singing sand mountains also called the Mingsha Shah. These mountains are pale golden in color; their height is about a dozen meters and stretches across an area of more or less 40 kilometers. The dunes are huge and some measures about hundred meters while most of them are rather stable in shape though the dunes shift recurrently.
The mystery of how these Mingsha sand dunes were created is still unsolved. No one can still give a justified reason of the definite phenomenon of these singing sand dunes. Some says that perhaps there are antique palaces under the dunes, whereas some believe that sand has a good amount of quartz which makes this sound. But Chinese scientists say that the main reason behind the echo effect of the sand is the resonance phenomenon.
If you visit the echoing China sand mountain dunes in Dunhuang, you can explore the giant golden dunes either by camel or by electric car and even in foot. But for a memorable experience, you can opt to ride a camel and move around the singing sand mountains. It is in fact a very joyous moment when you catch a glimpse of the stunning yellow dunes all in their wavy shapes against the blue sky. You will be thrilled to hear the alluring sound of the sand when you stand in the midst of the Mingsha Shah. Do not miss the archery or sand sledging readily available for tourists. You will love to see the contrasting view of the crescent spring which is only 8 kilometers away from Dunhuang with its lush vegetation and the echoing Sand Dunes during your visit to the city.