Brief information on Crescent Lake  

Located in the arms of Echoing-Sand Dune, Crescent Lake is a spring in the shape of a half moon. It has existed for at least two thousands years alongside Echoing-Sand Dune, never drying up. Crescent Lake is beautiful and clear. It is 218 meters long from east to west and 54 meters wide from north to south. The average depth of the lake is 1.09 meters. The resulting view of lake and grass embedded in the endless desert is a magnificent one. 

For thousands of years, Crescent Lake has remained clear and flowing. It is a real desert wonder. There are many beautiful legends about the formation of the lake but, in fact, the most important reason is the landscape. The land here is a little lower so the altitude is fit for storing water. In addition, research has revealed that in this special crescent landform, the falling sands from the surrounding dune would be sent back to the other side of the nearby Echoing-Sand Dune. Thus, the sands do not engulf the lake. This extraordinary earth movement keeps the sand dunes and lake eternally in a harmonious and almost paradoxical existence.

*You can download the bilingual note to show it to a taxi driver or someone else to find your way to Crescent Lake if you plan to visit Crescent Lake and have language problems.

   

Chinese Pinyin: yue ya quan
Opening Times: 06:00-17:50
Location: Dunhuang, Gansu