Mogao Caves

The Mogao Caves, near Dunhuang in Gansu province, are a complex of Buddhist cave temples carved into a cliff face on a Silk Road oasis and contain hundreds of painted caves and sculptures dating from the 4th to the 14th centuries. The site is renowned for its surviving wall paintings, sculptures and the early manuscript collection discovered in a sealed cave.

The complex includes decorative mural cycles, painted sculptures and architectural cave spaces arranged along the cliff; the early 20th-century discovery of the so-called Library Cave yielded a large archive of manuscripts and documents that significantly expanded knowledge of medieval Central Asian and Chinese history. Selected caves and museum displays are the focus of most visitor routes.

Carving and painting at Mogao occurred over many centuries under successive dynasties and diverse cultural influences from the Silk Road corridor. The site has been the focus of archaeological study and conservation efforts since the early 20th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Mogao sits near the city of Dunhuang on the northwestern edge of the Hexi Corridor in Gansu province, adjacent to desert landscapes and accessible by road from Dunhuang.

• Visitor management: Access is tightly managed for conservation; most visitor entry is by timed guided tours that cover selected caves and trace routes to the museum complex.

What to See #

• Library Cave (Cave 17): A sealed chamber discovered in the early 20th century that contained a large cache of manuscripts, paintings and documents illuminating Silk Road religious and commercial life.
• Painted cave complexes: Hundreds of painted caves with wall murals and painted sculptures spanning many centuries of Buddhist artistic production, concentrated along a cliff by the desert edge.