DunHuang is situated in a rich oasis within the Gobi Desert that includes Crescent Lake.
DunHuang held a strategic position at the crossroads of the ancient Southern Silk Route and the main road leading from India via Lhasa to Mongolia and Southern Siberia, as well as the entrance to the narrow HeXi Corridor, which led straight to the heart of the northern China plains and the ancient capitals of Chang'An (known today as Xi'An) and LuoYang.
The Gobi Desert is a 'rain shadow desert', formed by the Himalayan mountain range blocking rain-carrying clouds from the Indian Ocean.
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