At 5:00 p.m. on May 3, the city of Dunhuang in Gansu Province was suddenly hit by a severe sandstorm, with wind gusts reaching Force 11 and visibility dropping to less than 100 metres. The sky turned a reddish-brown hue. Nearly 10,000 tourists were stranded at popular sites including the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring Scenic Area, Yangguan Pass, Yumen Pass, and the Yadan Geological Park.

By 6:30 p.m., Dunhuang authorities activated the citywide emergency response plan for extreme weather, coordinating cultural tourism, transportation, and police departments. Scenic area shuttle buses, government vehicles, taxis, and private cars were mobilized to transport tourists free of charge.

By 10:00 p.m., all nearly 10,000 stranded tourists had been safely evacuated and relocated to hotels in the city.