The mysterious Mirage, another wonder in Dunhuang City, often appears in the expansive Gobi of Dunhuang on the hot sunny days in summer. Especially at the two sides along the highway from Dunhuang to Yangguan Pass and Yumenguan Pass, mirages show up like “sea waves” surging turbulently, lofty “mountains and rivers”, well-balanced “buildings” and well-laid-out “cities”, looming indistinctly in the air.

Mountain Singing Sands are famous for the sounds the wind makes when blowing over the dunes. Also, the sand is said to be rather noisy when tread upon. The dunes are also famous for their size, some reaching 100m or more, relatively stable despite the fact that the dunes beyond the mountains shift frequently. Also, the sands are said to regain form overnight if tread upon the day before.

Activities in the dunes include camel riding (RMB30-50, but bargain!), dune paragliding (RMB20, Foreigners are asked to pay RMB50, don't!), sand sledding (RMB10). Climbing the dunes is tiring and especially sweaty in the summer. There are wooden stairs to the top of the dunes for a small fee. Most people visit the dunes in the evening so as to avoid the hot sun