Dunhuang is situated at the westernmost end of the Hexi corridor. It was the most important station on the ancient Silk Road and was once called “sha”.

With an area of 31,200 square kilometers, the population of Dunhuang is around 110,000, most of whom are Han. The ethnic minorties include Hui, Tibetan, Mongolian, Kazak, tu, Tong, Miao, Man, Yugur, and Korean.

Throughout Dunhuang's history over two thousand years, it has always served as a critical gateway to the west, because of its unique geographical location——at the juncture of Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang. As a result, throughout the Chinese long history, several emperors have made improvements of these western fortifications.

However, Dunhuang was also a regional cultural center. The Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Dunhuang Grottoes or the “Thousand Buddha Grottoes”, is located on the western cliffs of Mountain Singing Sands. It is one of the most complete collections of Buddhist frescoes and sculpture from a period range over ten dynasties.