Dunhuang used to be called Shazhou and is at the western end of the Hexi Corridor. Dunhuang adjoins Anxi to the east, and borders Aksay all the way to the neighboring Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the northwest. There are many tourist attractions in Dunhuang, which is listed as a state historic and cultural city.

For centuries Buddhist monks at Dunhuang collected scriptures from the west, and many pilgrims passed through the area, painting murals inside the Mogao Caves or "Caves of a Thousand Buddhas." A small number of Christian artifacts have also been found in the caves (see Jesus Sutras), testimony to the wide variety of people who made their way along the silk road. Today, the site is an important tourist attraction and the subject of an ongoing archaeological project. A large number of manuscripts and artefacts retrieved at Dunhuang have been digitized and made publicly available via the International Dunhuang Project.

Mogao Grottoe Caves

The Mogao Grottoes, also known as "1000 Buddha Caves", are located 15.5 miles southeast of Dunhuang City. With a total length of 1 mile, the Grottoes wind their way through the broken cliff at the eastern foot of Mingsba Hill. There are five layers of caves built into the mountain. According to historical records, the Mogao Grottoes were constructed in 366 BC. Today there are 492 caves in which murals and sculptures representing different dynasties have been well preserved. The Mogao Grottoes are listed in the World Cultural Heritage and are rated as key relics under state protection.

Ruins of Yumenguan Pass

Yumenguan Pass is located in the Gobi Desert 54 miles northwest of Dunhuang City. It was built during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Its name came from the fact that jade from Hotan in Xinjiang entered Central China through this pass. At that time, the pass provided the only access to the north route of the Silk Road.