Dunhuang, located in the meeting point of Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang, is world famous for its brilliant and profound culture. It is the best stop of the Silk Road in Gansu and is the gateway to Xinjiang and the area beyond. In the past the ancient caravans from central China to the Western Region stopped at Dunhuang to replenish before they went into the Taklimakan Desert. The caravans coming out of the desert from the other end also stopped there before they continued eastward into central China.