Crescent Spring
Crescent spring < I (English: Crescent Lake) < / I located in crescent spring scenic area, formerly known as Shajing, commonly known as Yaoquan, is located at the northern foot of Mingsha mountain, 5km southwest of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province.
Yueya spring is nearly 100 meters long from north to South and 25 meters wide from east to west. The spring is about 5 meters deep in the East and shallow in the West. It is as curved as a crescent moon. Therefore, it is named "the first spring in the desert". It has been one of the "eight Dunhuang sceneries" since the Han Dynasty. It was listed as a national scenic spot in 1994.
In Yueya spring, there are Eupatorium and CHAROPHYTES. On the south bank, there are dense reeds, surrounded by quicksand. Although there is strong wind, the spring is not covered by sand. Because "the spring reflects the moon and is free of dust", "the ancient sand does not fill the spring, and the spring does not dry up", it has become a wonder. Mingsha mountain and Yueya spring are twin sisters in the desert and Gobi. "Mountains sing with spirit, and water is beautiful with spirit.". It has the feeling of "the pleasant nature of Mingsha mountain and the heart washing by crescent spring".
Yueya spring is one of the most outstanding natural landscapes in Dunhuang. It is famous for its "desert wonder" and "one of the most beautiful scenery outside the Great Wall". The crescent spring, the nine storey building of Mogao Grottoes and the artistic landscape of Mogao Grottoes are the "three wonders" in the south of Dunhuang City, and become the tourist attractions that people in China and even the world yearn for.