Things to do in Subei

The Shazhou/Dunhuang Night market is clean, cohesively decorated, and conveniently located in the city center! As part of your silk road travels visit this well put together market for delicious food and souvenir buys! 🛍 We bought cashmere wool scarves, magnets, and knick knacks all for great prices. The vendors are not pushy at all! We had a pleasant experience wandering the shops and the vendors were very friendly and accommodating. I'd recommend having alipay or wechat pay set up as this is the most convenient payment method when travelling China but at this market the vendors did accept cash from our fellow tour guide travellers. 🐟 The food court area gives camping vibes. You'll see small camp stools and chairs around small fires. Our tour guide told us that the fish and beef cakes are the most popular. We tried the fish which was yummy and the beefcakes welllll the line was a little too long for us but our fellow tour group travellers said it was delicious and even bought some for the road the next day! 🎐 Since the market was in the city center we explored the shops nearby and then caught a Didi back to our hotel. The night market is worth visiting, probably one of the best I have visited in my travels. 

The Overhanging Great Wall was too crowded; parking was free but difficult, and it seemed like it would easily cause a traffic jam. The First Beacon Tower was actually quite nice, with a good feel to it, being completely natural.

The Five Temples Grottoes are one of the small and medium-sized grottoes in the ancient Gua and Sha areas (now Guazhou and Dunhuang areas) centered on the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. They are located on the cliffs on the west bank of the Dang River, about 100 kilometers south of the Mogao Grottoes and 20 kilometers northwest of the county seat of Subei Mongolian Autonomous County. The caves were carved on the sand cliffs formed by the erosion of the Dang River. The sand cliffs are about 30 meters high. The caves are suspended halfway up the cliffs, about 12-15 meters from the ground. There are 19 existing caves on the cliffs about 300 meters long from south to north. Only the five caves in the middle can be climbed, so they are called "Five Temples". One of them was destroyed in the early years. On the east bank of the Dang River opposite the Five Temples Grottoes, there are four residual caves. About 5 kilometers upstream from the Five Temples, there is a grotto, commonly known as "One Temple".

I absolutely love Dunhuang Ancient City! It feels like stepping back in time. This film and television base is my favorite; it's incredibly old and so realistically built. It has every kind of ancient filming location imaginable. I even saw the Monkey King and Fairy Zixia on the city wall, which brought back so many youthful memories! And my favorite, New Dragon Gate Inn, was also filmed here. So amazing! If you're not in a rush, you could easily spend an afternoon exploring it. Highly recommended!

We set off at 9:00 AM and arrived at the park entrance at 10:15 AM, just in time for the 11:00 AM Meng Jiangnu Theater. My daughter had planned our trip in advance, downloading the Fantawild App, which helped us efficiently plan our rides and save time. We only visited the park's most thrilling and classic attractions, and even then, it took us eight hours. However, it was definitely worth it—the experience was fantastic!

Besides the Mogao Caves, a visit to the Western Thousand Buddha Caves is a must when visiting Dunhuang; the overall experience exceeded my expectations. It's quiet and less crowded, with no need to squeeze into long queues, making for a very comfortable visit. The site is right by the roadside, making it easily accessible, and perfect for following the western route itinerary. While there aren't many caves, each one is worth seeing. The murals and statues are well-preserved, showing signs of age; although the colors have faded, the lines and details remain exquisite. The staff are friendly and their explanations are easy to understand, not too obscure, making it accessible even to the average person. It's not overly commercialized, the atmosphere is pure, and you can quietly appreciate the ancient cave art. Compared to popular tourist spots, this place allows for a more immersive experience of history, offering excellent value for money and making it a worthwhile trip when visiting Dunhuang.