Visiting Dunhuang, with its desert landscapes and rich Silk Road history, is a journey into the heart of China’s cultural crossroads.
I visited the Huaxia International Hotel as part of a two-week trip with the Chinese Tourism Board, during which we stayed at several hotels. What I found was a hotel that serves its purpose, even if it doesn’t always dazzle.
Location
The Huaxia Hotel sits neither far out of town nor centrally located in Dunhuang. This is not a hotel that most people choose to walk from here downtown to the night market.
Dunhuang itself is compact, so from the hotel it should be simple to arrange excursions to headline attractions like the Mogao Caves, Crescent Lake, and the Singing Sand Dunes. Taxis and tour operators are readily available nearby, and the ride from the airport or train station is manageable, typically under half an hour.
Public Spaces
The hotel lobby is spacious and functional rather than stylish. It reflects the standard mid-range Chinese hotel aesthetic: polished floors, marble accents, oversized seating, and a somewhat formal atmosphere. Staff were courteous, though English proficiency was limited, so a translation app proved helpful at times.
This is a large hotel with 458 guest rooms. When we stayed there, there were large groups of Chinese middle school students on their traditional summer trip to see the country. When we visited, the lobby had large check-in tables for the school groups.
The lobby is large enough to hold large groups. There were two large comfortable seating areas and a small grocery store, which was unusual.
I saw an intriguing sign for a chess room, but was never able to locate it.
Room Features
My room was comfortable, if unremarkable. The room was good-sized, and I appreciated having space to spread out after long days of touring. The furnishings showed some signs of wear but remained functional.
Wi-Fi did not work all that well for me. Part of the problem is that the instructions were in Mandarin. A flat-screen TV, air conditioning, and a stocked kettle with tea were included. The TV had only Chinese programming. There was a master switch for the lights… but it did not turn off all the lights.
My biggest problem with my room is that it smelled strongly of smoke. Chinese hotels usually don’t have non-smoking rooms, and a room with carpet like this will really hold the smell.
The bathroom offered both a shower and reliable hot water. It was decorated with light-colored marble.
Special Features
One quite memorable feature of my stay is that when we returned to the room after a day of sightseeing, there was a large bucket and a thermos of hot water, allowing us to wash the dirt off our feet. What a wonderful amenity!
Food and Dining
The hotel restaurant offered primarily Chinese breakfast options. Breakfast runs 06:30-10:00. I found the buffet filling, with congee, steamed buns, eggs, and fresh fruit among the offerings. The selection of steamed buns was particularly memorable and tasty.
Facilities and Amenities
Facilities at the Huaxia Hotel cover the basics: a fitness room and meeting spaces. There is no pool, but there are massage rooms and a desk on the second floor offering foot massage. There is also apparently a pool table and a ping pong table, although I never found them.
The Huaxia International Hotel in Dunhuang offers extensive conference and event facilities, including a 1,100 m² multifunctional space, a 1,200 m² banquet hall that can accommodate 500–1,000 people, and a total of 18 meeting rooms of varying sizes, suitable for groups ranging from 10 to 1,000 attendees. Smaller rooms, such as a 270 m² meeting room accommodating approximately 24 people, offer flexibility for breakout sessions or board-style gatherings.
Mogao Caves
Things Nearby
- Shazhou Night Market – Lantern-strung alleys dishing cumin lamb skewers, rose-petal yogurt, and pomegranate juice. Arrive after 20:00 for cooler air and fewer tour groups.
- Crescent Lake and Singing Sand Dunes – Go at 16:00 when shadows deepen and camel caravans thin out. Dune boards are rentable on-site.
- Mogao Caves – Timed tickets must be prebooked. Pair the standard tour with the Digital Exhibition Center for animated projections of rarely opened caves.
- Yadan National Geological Park– This part features unique and beautiful landscapes of the Gobi desert. On the way, you will pass the vestiges of the Han Dynasty Great Wall at Yangguan Pass
- Dunhuang Art Academy Bookstore – Sells limited-print volumes on Silk Road archaeology and hosts weekend calligraphy workshops.
Practical Advice
Dunhuang’s summer heat spikes above 100 degrees Fahrenheit by 14:00. Schedule outdoor activities at sunrise and late afternoon. May and September offer mellower temperatures and thinner crowds. Public buses stop at 21:00, so arrange return taxis from Yangguan or Yadan well in advance. Foreign credit cards now work in most larger shops, but smaller stalls remain cash-only. Carry small bills. Google services stay blocked by the firewall; download offline maps and translation packs before arrival.
Rates
Rates start at about $64 a night. Check rates online at Trip.com.
Final Thoughts
The Huaxia Hotel in Dunhuang may not win awards for style or innovation, but it does what it needs to do: it provides travelers with a comfortable, practical place to stay in a fascinating part of China. I just wish they would offer non-smoking rooms.
I stayed at the Yihe Hotel on a press trip to the Gansu Province with China’s Tourism Board. They covered the cost of my stay, but the opinions expressed are my own.
