Dunhuang Movie Set, also known as Modeled Shazhou Town of Song Dynasty (960-1279), is about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) southwest of Dunhuang City. The town, covering an area of 12,700 square meters (3.1 acres) was originally designed for the setting of the historical film Dunhuang in 1987. The film was made in cooperation with Japan and the set reproduced the layout and construction on a part of the famous scroll painting Qingming Shanghe Tu (The Outing at Bian River on Qingming Festival).

The town presents its majestic appearance in the vast Gobi bearing a rich flavor of the west regions of China. Fully representing the military importance of the western regions in the Tang (618-907) and Song Dynasties, the complex here can give one an impression that the clock has turned backwards to ancient times. Gates are erected on the east, south and west sides of the town. The five main streets, namely the Gaochang, Dunhuang, Ganzhou, Xingqing and Bianliang, criss-cross each other inside the town. Various constructions with distinct characteristics of the Song Dynasty are scattered along the streets, housing arcades, temples, hockshops, warehouses, pothouses, restaurants, dwelling houses and so on.

Taking full advantage of its uniqueness for making movies with a military theme, the site has become the biggest set for shooting movies in northwest China. More than twenty films and television series have been produced here, apart from the movie Dunhuang so far. You might be surprised to recognize the familiar scenes from one of your favorite movies when you are strolling around the town. So be prepared for the unexpected!

Dunhuang Movie Set is very interesting both for its historical value for putting the vision of the ancient west China into perspective and for its important role in movie-making industry.

Add:  Qiliqiao Town, Dunhuang 736200, China, 25 km southwest of Dunhuang
Admission: 30 yuan for a through ticket
Opening hours: 8 am-5 pm
How to get there: You can take a taxi to Dunhuang Movie Set from downtown Dunhuang. It will cost you 25 yuan and take you 15 minutes.