Crescent Lake (Yueyaquan)

A crescent-shaped lake lying in the sand a few kilometres south of Dunhuang, hemmed in by the dunes of Mingsha. Groundwater keeps the hollow filled despite the desert all around, though in the second half of the 20th century the level fell sharply and is now maintained artificially. On the shore stands a group of Tang-style pavilions with the Mingyuege tower above them.

On the map