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Situated at a strategic point along the Silk Route, at the crossroads of trade as well as religious, cultural and intellectual influences, the 492 cells and cave sanctuaries in Mogao are famous for their statues and wall paintings, spanning 1,000 years of Buddhist art.
The Mogao Grottoes, a World Heritage Site is located near the ancient town of Dunhuang in northwestern China. Dating from the fourth to the fourteenth centuries, the ancient Buddhist site contains 492 decorated caves temples excavated into 1.6 kilometers of cliff face. The site includes some 45,000 square meters of wall paintings and over 2,400 polychromed sculptures comprising the largest body of Buddhist art in China.
Over a thousand-year period, the cave temples of Mogao were hewn into a rock cliff face of soft conglomerate. The temple walls were plastered over with a mixture of clay, sand, and plant fiber, and the paintings were executed as line drawings in red and black ink on a ground layer covering the earthen plaster, then filled in with bright mineral pigments and washes of organic colorants.
During the Tang dynasty, which saw Buddhism established throughout the Chinese empire, the monastic community reached its peak – more than a thousand cave temples were in operation. But thereafter, new sea routes gradually replaced the Silk Road and Mogao became increasingly provincial. Sometime in the 14th century, the caves were sealed and abandoned.
There were originally about 1,000 Buddhist cave temples at Mogao, over 600 of which survive. About 30 caves are accessible to the public, but visitors cannot usually manage to visit more than 15 in a day. The rest of the caves are closed for preservation, because they are not of significant interest, or because they contain Tantric murals considered too explicit for visitors.
Generally, the oldest caves are in the center of the cliff. Each cave is clearly labeled with a number above the doors. The caves are not lit inside in order to preserve the murals, but guides carry flashlights and visitors should bring their own as well.
No photography is allowed inside the caves and the caves are not lit artificially. You can rent a flashlight but if you can remember, tuck a small one into your backpack to enhance your enjoyment of the paintings.
Because there is no artificial lighting, a visit during the morning or early afternoon is best. Going at the end of the day as the sun sets is not a great idea.
