Mogao Caves Travel Guide

The Mogao Caves in the northwest of Gansu Province, northern China, lie on the Silk Road not far from the city of Dunhuang. The cave is a showcase of Buddhist art and temple architecture in a stunning cliff-side setting.

In essence, the Mogao Caves are a series of grottoes containing many pieces of Buddhist art, some of which stretch back over a thousand years. The caves sit on the eastern flank of Mount Mingsha, which is accessed by a sealed road. They are stacked up to five storeys high.

There are almost 500 grottoes in all, each of which displays a range of artwork. The caves were begun way back in the mid-400s AD and were 1,000 years in the making. Most caves were added during the Tang Dynasty at the height of Buddhism and the Silk Route’s use.

The Mogao Caves are today a World Heritage site and also contain 50,000 manuscripts along with the myriad paintings and statues.

Getting There & Away

Dunhuang City is the gateway to the Mogao Caves and is a 1-hour bus ride away. Dunhuang Airport receives flights from all over China, including from Beijing in about 3 hours. Flights also come in from Shanghai in 3 hours. Buses and taxis run to the caves from town.