Singing Sand Dunes (Dunhuang)

The Singing Sand Dunes on the backside of Crescent Moon Lake

In 1995

The Singing Sand Dunes (Chinese: 鳴沙山 Ming Sha Shan) in Dunhuang, China, are the sand dunes that, when the wind blows, give out a singing or drumming sound. They are part of the Kumtag Desert.

The Singing Sand Dunes were originally known as the "Gods' Sand Dunes" (Chinese: 神沙山). In the Records of the Grand Historian, Sima Qian described the sound "as if listening to music when the weather is fine." During the Ming Dynasty, they came to be called by the current name.

As the Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Lake constitute a AAAAA Tourist Attraction, they are frequented by many tourists in this city of the more famous Mogao Caves.

There are four better-known singing sand dunes in China, that include those of Hami, which are usually said to give the best sound among the four, and those of Dunhuang.

See also

• Singing sand