Dunhuang is your gateway to jaw-dropping natural landscapes that defy imagination. Be prepared to feel like you've landed on Mars right here on Earth! The superstar here is the Mingsha Mountain (Singing-Sand Mountain) and Crescent Spring, where massive, golden sand dunes roll like ocean waves, right beside a tranquil, centuries-old oasis in the perfect shape of a moon sliver. You can slide down the dunes, listen to the sand "sing" and witness a desert sunset that will steal your breath away.

Be sure to venture further to the Yardang National Geological Park, where the wind has sculpted the earth into a surreal world of castles, towers and sculptures. Walking among these ancient, eroded formations at sunrise or sunset is an absolutely otherworldly experience.