Spring has arrived at Crescent Moon Spring in Dunhuang, Gansu province. [Photo by Zhang Xiaoliang]

Spring has come, and the rising temperatures have melted the ice in Crescent Moon Spring in Dunhuang, Northwest China's Gansu province. The scenic spot beckons tourists with its limpid, ink painting-like desert scenery. 

The spring, which looks like a crescent moon, is nestled between tall sand dunes, where it has lain for thousands of years. Although the area is very dry, the pool doesn't dry up as one might expect.