Mingsha Mountain and New Moon Pool, located five kilometers south of Dunhuang, is reputed as a "Wonder in the Desert".
Mingsha Mountain is known for its singing sands. It was named Shajiao Mountain and nicknamed Shensha Mountain in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and later renamed to Mingsha Mountain in the Jin Dynasty. The mountain is 40 kilometers long east to west, 20 kilometers wide south to north, with an elevation of 1,715 meters at its main peak. Mingsha Mountain has many steep cliffs and blade-like ridges. When someone slides down the sands, a drum-like sound is made, which can be as light as music or as heavy as thunder.
Situated in the Mingsha Mountain, the New Moon Pool got the name from its crescent shape. In ancient times, it was once called Sand Well or Medicine Spring. Mistakenly it was called Wowa Pool for some time, but was renamed to the New Moon Pool in the Qing Dynasty.
