Mogao Caves (Chinese: 莫高窟), also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes (千佛洞), is located 25 kilometers southeast of the city center of Dunhuang (敦煌), Gansu (甘肅) Province, China. The caves contain some of the finest examples of Buddhist art spanning a period of 1,000 years.
735 caves currently exist in Mogao, the best-known ones are the 487 caves located in the southern section of the cliff which are places of pilgrimage and worship.
Mogao Caves were first dug out in AD 366 as places of Buddhist meditation and worship, some of the caves were elaborately painted, serving as visual representations of the quest for enlightenment.
During the Tang (唐) Dynasty, Dunhuang became the main hub of commerce of the Silk Road and a major religious centre. A large number of the caves were constructed at Mogao during this era.
The largest statues of Buddha were constructed in 695, it escaped the persecution of Buddhists ordered by Emperor Wuzong (武宗) in 845 as it was then under Tibetan control.
Photography is strictly prohibited in all caves, as the flashlight will destroy the colors of the painting.
Mogao Caves are the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes and, along with Longmen Grottoes (龍門石窟) and Yungang Grottoes (雲岡石窟), are one of the three famous ancient Buddhist sculptural sites of China.
