Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang

Location: In the west of Hexi Corridor of Gansu province, China

Brief Description:

Mogao (Mogao means high up in the desert) Grottoes, also known as the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas, a shrine of Buddhist art treasures, is situated at the eastern foot of Mingsha Mountain, 25 kilometers southeast of Dunhuang in Gansu Province. It is also a strategic point along the Silk Route and the crossroads of trade as well as religious, cultural and intellectual influences. The grottoes, created during different time periods are clustered on the steep cliff which is 15-30 meters high. Begun in 366 and completed in 1386, these grottoes bear evidence of a thousand years of history. There are 492 grottoes containing murals(n.壁画)and painted statues, over 250 residential caves, 2,4200 painted statues, 45,000 square-metre murals, and five caves with eaves built in the Tang and Song Dynasties. These are the vivid records of China's Buddhist history, art history and social life. The Mogao Grottoes in

Dunhuang are the largest Buddhist grottoes with the longest history and the richest treasures both in China and in the world.