Brief Introduction: Dunhuang Yadan national geological parkis away from Dunhuang about 165 kilometers, located at the junction of Gansuand Xinjiang and close to Lop Nor(nuclear testing site in Xinjiang) . Accordingto preliminary estimates, the Yadan landform of dunhuang is 20 kilometers bothin length and width, with a total area of about 400 square kilometers, which isequivalent to the size of 80,000 football fields connecting together. Theaverage time of formation was between 700,000 to 300,000 years ago.

Yadan is originally the Uygur language ofChina, meaning a steep mound. At the beginning of the 20th century, someChinese and foreign scholars who went to Lop Nor for investigation found the landform of large areas of rised mounds in the Lop Wasteland. They asked thelocal guide for the name of the landform, but the guide mistakenly thought theyasked for the local name of this landform, so they wrote it as Yardangs according to the name of the local Uyghur. From then on, the word 'Yardang' was spread in the geology circle abroad.

Geologically, the Yardang landform is defined as a series of parallel ridges and grooves that have been eroded by wind over time. The formation of Yadan landform has experienced four main processes,which are deposition at bottom of lake, crustal movement, rainwater erosion and wind erosion. When the night falls and the strong wind blows, a terrible howling, like the roar of thousands of wild animals, is given out, whichis so creepy that the locals call it Devil City. The Devil City of Dunhuang isthe third Devil City discovered after Wuhe Devil City and Devil City in Nomin Wind City, and it is also the largest Yadan landform found in China.

Due to the long-term fierce wind erosion,the soft sand and stones in Dunhuang Devil City were swept away, the ground was eroded into regular gullies, and the hard layers of soil and stones became hills of varying heights. And it has been carved into different shapes such asstone people, stone horses, camels, turtles, crocodiles, stone columns, yurts,palaces, castles, mushrooms, etc

The Yadan landform in China covers an area of more than 20,000 square kilometers, mainly distributed in the northwest of the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai Province, the middle and lower reaches of the Shule River and around Lop Nor in Xinjiang Province. The Yadan landform in Xinjiangis only 3,000-4,000 square kilometers, and the scale is small. The typical Yadan is 4-5 meters high, and the Yadan with a height of 10-20 meters is also called mesa(mesa), namely the square terrace.The Yadan of Dunhuang which is called ancient sea is 20-100 meters high. Moreover, the wind eroded valley is narrow,the shape of Dunhuang Yadan is rich and colorful, and this kind of high intensive Yadan is rarely seen in the world.

The Yadan landform of Dunhuang is located along the Silk Road. It goes west out of Dunhuang and passes the famous Jade Gate pass. Vibrant oases, desolate Gobi desert, magnificent sand dunes, and colorful mountains and dry river beds constitute a tourist route integrating human and natural landscape, which is of high research value and ornamental value. Known as Devil's City, Yardang is one of the most comprehensive repositories of geological data on the thriving Silk Road. It is one of the largest natural landmarks as well.

In December 2001, the Ministry of Land and Resources approved the establishment of Gansu Dunhuang Yardan National Geopark,which was officially opened and opened to visitors in August 2003. In November 2006, it was rated as AAAA level scenic spot by National Tourism Administration

The Level: AAAA tourist attraction

Opening Time: 8:00a.m.—7:00p.m.

Visiting Time : 1—2 hrs

Better Seasons to Visit: all seasons

Travel Tips: 1, In Dunhuang ultraviolet radiation is extremely strong, dry climate tourists should bring their own, sun umbrella, sunshade hat, sunscreen and other items, but also bring a cold clothes to drink more water to adapt to the local climate and environment,prevent acclimation

2, Yadan landform is mostly located in the Gobi desert, and it is very easy to get lost when walking in the huge Yadan group. Besides, the weather conditions are harsh, it is cold in winter and hot insummer, and the wind is quite heavy. Therefore, you need to bring your own sunglasses, sunshade, food and enough water and clothes to enter the scenic spot, and you need to follow the guide's arrangement and instruction;

3, To visit Yadan, scarf, hat and sunglasses are also necessary items for preventing sand and sun exposure. If you're a photographer, please take care of your camera because of the strong wind in Yadan area might fly a lot of sands.

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