The Mogao Caves

Cut in the 1680-meter-long cliff running from north to south at the foot of the Mingsha Mountain 25 km. southeast of Dunhuang City in a period from the 4th to the 14th century, the Mogao Caves are Buddhist cave temples, boasting more than 750 grottoes, 45000 sq.m. of murals, 3000-odd polychrome sculptures, and 5 wooden grotto eaves. Noted for their large scale, rich contents and superb artistic accomplishment, the Mogao Caves are indeed a shinning gem in the history of ancient Oriental culture and art. Having met the criteria Nos.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 for inclusion of cultural properties on the World Heritage List, the Mogao Caves were inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1987.

The Mogao Caves