Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes Travel Guide

Scenic spot introduction:

Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes are located in the Daquan River Valley, 25 kilometers southeast of Dunhuang City. They are about 1,600 meters long from north to south. They are famous for their exquisite murals and statues and are known as "the most valuable cultural discovery of the 20th century" and "the Louvre of the East". Mogao Grottoes were first built during the Former Qin Dynasty of the Sixteen Kingdoms. After generations of construction, they have formed a huge scale. There are currently 735 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals, and 2,415 clay sculptures. It integrates architecture, sculptures, and murals. It is the world's largest and best-preserved treasure house of Buddhist art.
According to the Tang Dynasty book "Li Kerang's Stele on the Reconstruction of the Mogao Grottoes Buddha Shrine", in the second year of the Jianyuan Period of the Former Qin Dynasty (366), the monk Le Zun passed by this mountain and suddenly saw a golden light shining, as if thousands of Buddhas appeared, so he dug the first cave on the rock wall. After that, Zen Master Faliang and others continued to build caves and practice Zen here, and it was called "Mogao Grottoes", which means "the high place in the desert". Later, because "Mo" and "Mo" are interchangeable, it was renamed "Mogao Grottoes".

Attractions distribution:

Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Thousand Buddha Caves, is one of the four major grottoes in China, along with the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, Shanxi, the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan, and the Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui, Gansu. Mogao Grottoes , Mogao Grottoes Painted Sculptures , Mogao Grottoes murals , The Thousand-Scripture Caves , Western Thousand Buddha Caves wait.

Scenic spot qualifications:

National 4A-level scenic spot, world cultural heritage, national key cultural relics protection unit

Scenic spot features:

Buddhist Grottoes

Scenic spot map: