Shazhou Night Market is located on Yangguan East Road, which is the largest night market in Dunhuang. Shazhou Night Market is becoming more and more popular among Chinese and foreign tourists. Whenever the night falls, tourists from all over the world gather here, making the street extremely lively. Shazhou Night Market consists of five operating areas: local snacks, handicrafts, "three bubble Taiwan" teahouse, agricultural products and local special products. Because of its distinctive characteristics with folk customs, it is listed as one representative scene of Dunhuang, especially the night views.
The overall architectural style is ancient Tang Dynasty building with strong local features. It covers an area of 66,600 square meters. There are 13 ethnic groups, including Han, Hui, Uygur, Dongxiang, Yugu, Mongolian, Tibetan and Korean Ethnic Groups, nearly more than 6000 people vending here. There are ten functional areas including cultural theme area, special catering area, folk custom area, western-style area, hotel and bar area, barbecue area, commercial and shopping area and agricultural products area.
In the special catering area on the night market, famous local snacks are displayed, including "donkey yellow noodles", ramen, Jiangshui noodles, Minced pork noodles, pies and other traditional cooked noodles. Among them, "donkey meat noodles" is the most unique that tourists should have a try.
Besides, there are also tasty grilled lamb chops, grilled fish, lamb skewers and such barbecue which are popular among the travelers. A stage is set on the snack square so that tourists can enjoy mass interesting local performance while tasting the food. Most of these shows are self-directed and performed by mass local ethnic groups. Although not so professional, the shows gain reputation among the tourists.
Among the agricultural products, tourists could taste the juicy Ziyan Peach, Xiangshui Pear, White Grape, Yellow River Melon and other fruits on the street. Li Guang apricot is sweet and delicious which is regarded as the king of apricots.
More than 100 noticeable craft stalls are not large in size and are lined up along the street, making it easy for tourists to view and purchase goods. A wide range of varieties of products include crystal stone glasses, crystal stone jewelry, jade camel, silk blankets, statues, fresco replicas, luminous cups, travel books, etc. The local artists paint the exquisite murals and colorful sculptures of Mogao Grottoes on canvas, silk scarves, gourds, wood and slate, making the ordinary things into extraordinary artwork. The wood carvings of Dunhuang vividly express the landscape of the Crescent Lake, Mingsha Mountain and bold nature of the Yadan landform, making people fascinated and unforgettable.