Dunhuang is far more than a city of caves and murals — it is also one of the most rewarding places in China to explore on foot. Trails can climb to the 1,715-meter crest with a relative height of 100 to 400 meters on Mingsha Mountain, and open out onto the gravel Gobi Desert, the Yardang badlands (also known as Yadan landforms), and the Yumen Pass and Yangguan Pass. You can take short walks around famous spots or take on a multi-day route that retraces the westward journey of the monk Xuanzang, a 7th-century Buddhist monk who traveled to the Indian subcontinent in search of Buddhist scriptures. With manageable gradients, dry, sunny weather, and established local trekking services, Dunhuang provides trekking opportunities from spring through late autumn.