Gansu Travel｜Immersive Historical Experience at Yangguan in Dunhuang

After a long drive, the scenery outside the window gradually changes from the hustle and bustle of the city to scattered villages, then to a vast wasteland, and finally arriving at Yangguan. Yangguan in Dunhuang is not just an ancient pass, but a lighthouse in the long river of history, illuminating the footsteps of Silk Road travelers for thousands of years.
🚗 Recommended Route:
Yangguan Museum → Ancient Dunhuang Military Culture Exhibition → Two Passes Han Frontier Hall → Silk Road Exhibition Hall → Yangguan Commandery Office (for border pass processing) → Replica Han Dynasty Yangguan City → Sightseeing Car Ride → Yangguan Beacon Tower (core site) → Replica Ancient Barracks → Yangguan Study and Experience Hall.
🌟 Immersive Historical Site: Standing at the Yangguan ruins, feel the vast desolation of "No old friends west of Yangguan." The ancient rammed earth beacon tower’s body has been deeply eroded by millennia of wind and rain, yet it still stands resiliently between heaven and earth; the road engraved with the words "Yangguan Ancient Road" is buried under sand and wild grass, yet it is the path walked by Zhang Qian, Xuanzang, and countless merchants and soldiers; the silent posture of each relic tells stories more profoundly than any history book—stories of clashing swords and horses, of beacon fires, and of countless cold nights and homesickness on the frontier.
🌟 Time-Travel Experience: You can process a border pass at the Commandery Office and experience the ancient "border crossing" procedure. Staff handwrite the pass, and after reciting a poem by Wang Wei, it is stamped, full of ritual. You can also stroll the city walls dressed in Hanfu, instantly traveling back a thousand years.
🌟 Stunning Light and Shadow: At dusk, the Yangguan beacon tower presents the most breathtaking silhouette in the sunset glow. The slowly setting sun is no longer the harsh white of daytime but becomes rich and gentle, casting a deep golden-red hue over the endless wilderness.
🌟 Study and Experience: The scenic area offers a variety of cultural activities, including rubbing art, archery on the training ground, fire-starting by friction, and more. You can also separately experience mural copying and beacon fire transmission.
Standing under the Yangguan beacon tower, watching the sunset dye the Gobi Desert golden, the sound of camel bells and poets’ chants from a thousand years ago seem to drift on the wind. When you come to Dunhuang, why not take a trip to Yangguan? May you truly meet history here.

Post by NovaDreamchaser12 | Oct 16, 2025