Locations: Mingsha, Gansu, China (40�5'18"N 94�40'33"E )
Date: 5 October 2008; 9.20pm
Camera: (analogue) Canon 500N with negatives and scanned
Dunhuang is one of the most interesting stops along the Silk Route of China. On top of its strong Hui (Muslim Chinese) traditions, it has history, thanks in no small part to the infamous tomb-raiding feats of a Aurel Stein, who nearly cut out all the murals of the Mogao Caves and shipped them back to Britain. Dunhuang also has the magnificent Mingsha Desert (Mingsha is so named for the sound of the singing sand, being wind whipping off the dunes). The sand dunes are situated at the edge of town and are fringed by green farmlands as seen above. Most visitors to Mingsha would probably not realised this as one has to climb up one of the higher sand dunes to have a panoramic view to appreciate the amazing nature of the landscape.
