The Autumn Colors of Poplar Forest at Yumen Pass, Dunhuang

Autumn in Dunhuang, Gansu, is like a richly colored frontier oil painting. Outside Yumen Pass, the poplar forest blazes into a golden sea in the autumn wind, with sunlight filtering through the branches casting dappled shadows. Fallen leaves flutter like butterflies, telling the life legend of "living but not dying for a thousand years." Yumen Pass, built during the Eastern Han Dynasty and also known as Xiaofangpan City, was once a vital choke point on the Silk Road, a must-pass place for merchants from the Western Regions and people from the Central Plains. Named after the Hetian jade that was brought into the Central Plains here, it has weathered the vicissitudes of time, leaving only rammed earth ruins. Yet the tragic and desolate spirit of Wang Zhihuan’s poem "Liangzhou Ci" still evokes a longing for this ancient frontier. Today, Yumen Pass is included in a joint ticket with the Han Great Wall and Hecang City, a must-visit on the western Dunhuang route. Come to Dunhuang and experience this millennium-spanning desolation and romance!

Post by Trip.Pulse | Oct 16, 2025