Ringing Mountain of Sand (Singing Sand Mountains) Mingshashan
The sand dune Mingshashan, 5km/3mi south of Dunhuang, is 40km/25mi long and 20km/12.5mi wide. It was formed from quicksand. If someone slides down the hill it makes a whistling or ringing sound, from where it gets its name of the Ringing Mountain of Sand.
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Lake of the Crescent Moon
At the foot of Mingshashan lies the 200m/656ft long Lake of the Crescent Moon (Yueyaquan), which gets its name from its crescent-like shape. The formation of the lake resulted from a geological peculiarity - the north and south slopes are higher than the east and west - and from the wind which blows from west to east. The wind initially blows in a southeasterly direction, and is then forced upwards where it rotates spirally before finally retreating in an easterly direction. As a result, the lake has never once become silted up with sand in 1000 years.