It may seem unlikely that one of China's most important and revealing cultural sites would be located on the dusty edge of the Gobi Desert, far from traditional centers of power and signature tourist attractions like the Terracotta Warriors and Forbidden City. But China's is a story of travel, transformation and adaptation as much as it is one of continuity and Confucian stability, and few places make this clearer than the Silk Road's amazing Mogao Caves (Mogao Ku). Here, over 1,600 years ago, in over 1,000 caves scattered throughout the rocky desert near modern-day Dunhuang, Buddhist monks traveling east from India and Tibet settled, establishing, along with China's first Buddhist monasteries, a revered tradition of filling the area's arid caves with stunning paintings and sculptures. Today, only some of the caves are open to the public, as conservation and restoration work ... more >>

These two gates formed the westernmost expansion of the Great Wall and represented the fringes of Chinese civilization for centuries. Yumen Guan (Yùménguān, 玉门关, Jade Gate) and Yang Guan (Yáng guān, 阳关, Sun Gate) were built by Emperor Wudi more than 2000 years ago and protected the Hexi Corridor entrance near Dunhuang from Hun invasions. After the Han Empire solidified its control over the vital corridor along the Silk Road, the fortresses became trading outposts for jade caravans arriving from Hotan and for silk and tea caravans heading west toward Persia and eventually Rome. They were know as the "Little Square City," and Han rulers encouraged not only soldiers but also settlers to pick up and move to this frontier fortress - in the hopes of turning a fortress and trading post into a flourishing town. But Yumenguan and Yangguan ne... more >>

What's left of the Shandan portion of the Great Wall in Gansu faces the twin dangers of natural erosion and human destruction. Most of the Wall is split up, broken, crumbling and piereced by kilometer-wide gaps. Still, for Great Wall enthusiasts, history buffs or tourists visiting Dunhuang, a visit to the best of the ruins is well worth the effort.    The Shandan Great Wall (Shāndān Chángchéng, 山丹长城) was first built over 2,000 years ago during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), but it was not well maintained in the centuries tha until the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) emperors built a parallel wall along the ancient barrier. By then the Han Dynasty wall had already become useless as a defense against marauding horsemen and the Ming Wall fared little better, succumbing to desert and farmhands in less than 500 years. The Shan... more >>