Tourists ride camels at the Mingsha Mountain and the Crescent Moon Spring Scenic Area in Dunhuang, Gansu province on Jan 2. [Photo by Zhang Xiaoliang]

Dunhuang, a Silk Road international cultural tourism city in Gansu province, saw its tourist and cultural activities bouncing back during the just-concluded three-day New Year holiday.

Many tourists came to enjoy spectacular desert scenery against the fish-scale clouds and yellow sand at the Mingsha Mountain and the Crescent Moon Spring Scenic Area, as the spot offered a 50 percent discount.

From Dec 15 to March 31, 2023, tickets for the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes are also half price. The number of available caves has been increased from eight to 12 to attract more tourists along the route featuring flying apsaras, the female spirits in the Dunhuang murals.