The Gobi Desert, Asia’s largest, is so big the Chinese often simply refer to it as the Endless Sea. As an oasis town, Dunhuang appears like a lonesome green island amidst this arid expanse. But the desert is anything but dull. In fact, the Gobi Desert is so diverse; it is broken-up into different areas depending on regional climate variation and topology.

South of Dunhuang are the rolling dunes that tend to epitomise desert land for many people. Driving between sights located outside of Dunhuang one passes plains of gravel that stretch to the horizon. Around Sanwei Hill the landscape is rocky, defined by boulders and craggy hillsides. The most spectacular terrain can be found in Dunhuang Yadan National Park where wind and sand erosion has carved bedrock hills into mysterious, often fantastic formations.

Dunhuang administers 31, 300km2 of mostly desert land but 1, 400km2 is fertile and green. Scattered about the desert are several small oasis towns. Fed by distant mountain rivers or groundwater, these verdant quarters, notably Grape Valley near Yang Guan, can appear quite surreal when compared with the abounding wilderness.

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