At minus 13 degrees, I went to climb the Mingsha Mountain in Dunhuang

Hotels and scenic spots in Dunhuang in winter offer friendly prices, so I decisively booked a flight to Lanzhou and then to Dunhuang. 🚉Transportation guide: The Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring is a scenic area on the south side of Dunhuang City, 5 kilometers from the city center. You can take bus No. 3 from the city for 2 yuan, and it takes 20 minutes to reach the Central Gate Visitor Center. Note: After boarding the bus, scan the payment code on the bus to pay!!! Note that it is not the Tencent ride code!!! Nor is it the Alipay ride code!!! 💰Ticket price: In winter, off-season half-price is implemented, with adults at 55 yuan and minors with ID cards free of charge. Tourists arriving in Dunhuang by plane, with their boarding passes, can get free admission at the ticket window of the visitor center after completing the procedures. Note that this is only for tourists arriving by plane in Dunhuang!! All visitors must have their faces recorded upon entering the park, and then they can enter and exit the park an unlimited number of times within three days. 🌟Highlights: Why hasn't the Crescent Spring been buried by the sand sliding down? Standing on the top of the mountain and looking at the opposite mountain and Crescent Spring, you will find that the wind blows from the south to the north, which just rolls the sand at the bottom of the mountain to the top. This ingenious cooperation of wind and sand is the secret of Mingsha Mountain's self-restoration every night, and it also prevents the sand from engulfing Crescent Spring. 📌Little Tips: 1. Sand-proof shoe covers are essential. You can prepare them before entering the park, or buy them on the roadside for 5 yuan a pair, or rent them for 20 yuan/pair after entering. When climbing the mountain, I saw that the 5-yuan shoe covers of some tourists were already broken at the toe, and the style with laces was quite loose, providing only average sand protection. 2. Hats, gloves, and scarves are necessary, as the wind is strong on the mountain, and fine sand gets into backpacks, clothes, faces, and ears. 3. In winter, the scenic area's hot air balloon, paragliding, and sand sliding activities are stopped, and the ticket office is empty. Only camel riding and off-road vehicles are available for experience. I wanted to ride a camel, which was 100 yuan per person, but when the camel came close, I smelled a stench and gave up the idea. It's more comfortable to climb the mountain and look into the distance. 4. Climb the sand mountain using the steps. It saves a lot of effort to climb the mountain using the steps rather than directly stepping on the sand. Due to the headwind, it is still necessary to rest 1-2 times on the way to the top, which takes about 20 minutes. There is a telescope at the top of the mountain, and you can scan to look into the distance. I wanted to scan for a two-minute view, but found that the button was grayed out, and only the group button for 50 yuan for 20 minutes was available. 🧳Preparation before departure: 1. Dunhuang is dry and cold in winter, with temperatures generally between 2 and minus 13 degrees. It's cold in the morning and evening, and it doesn't get light until after 8:30 am. The sun slowly comes out after 10 am, and it's not too cold to climb Mingsha Mountain in the afternoon except for the strong wind. The temperature rises between 3-4 pm, and gloves are not necessary. 2. Clothing: For primary school students: thermal underwear + sweater + short down jacket, windproof pants, hat, gloves, fleece socks, breathable running shoes. For middle-aged people: thermal underwear + sweater + down jacket + knee pads, hat, scarf, gloves, fleece socks, breathable running shoes. These clothes are just an addition of a hat, scarf, and knee pads compared to the winter temperature drop in Nanning (5-10 degrees).