7 Days in Jiuquan

The 346-dated tower base and the park around Huo Qubing's 121 BC spring; the city museum sets the frontier story that the week will walk through.

1. jiuquan bell drum tower
2. jiuquan west han scenic spot
3. jiuquan museum

Wenshushan's shrines reach back some 1,500 years; the Dingjiazha tomb keeps Sixteen Kingdoms murals of the 4th-5th centuries.

1. jiuquan wenshushan grottoes
2. jiuquan dingjiazha tomb

The 43 caves of Yulin, the 2014-listed earth walls of Suoyang City, and the 15-metre Gobi sculpture of 2016 on the road across — all inside Jiuquan's own Guazhou County.

1. jiuquan yulin caves
2. jiuquan suoyang city
3. jiuquan earth child sculpture

Reserve ahead: 735 caves begun in 366, some 45,000 square metres of murals, 2,400-plus statues; book the eight-cave A-ticket if available.

1. jiuquan mogao caves

Early light on the Mingsha dunes and the crescent spring below, then Dunhuang Museum's stelae and tomb figures before the night market.

1. jiuquan mingsha crescent lake
2. jiuquan dunhuang museum

The Han-era pass of Yangguan and the small square fort of Yumen, both set up about 2,100 years ago, with Han wall stubs crossing the gravel — the 'two passes' of the frontier songs.

1. jiuquan yangguan
2. jiuquan yumen pass
3. jiuquan han great wall

About 22 km west in the neighbouring city: the 1372 fort, the 1540s Overhanging Wall, then back to Jiuquan for the evening train.

1. jiuquan jiayuguan pass
2. jiuquan overhanging wall