Mogao Caves
Description:
The Mogao Caves (or, as they are also called, the Thousand Buddha Caves) are located on the slope of the Singing Sands Mountain in Dunhuang, Gansu Province. Their length is 1680 meters.
Historical documents state that the first caves were made in the rock in 366. Chinese monk Le Tzu-nu once had a vision of a thousand golden Buddhas, after which he was sure that this holy land should make a cave. His idea was supported and actively began to translate into reality. Carved caves were painted with colored frescoes, decorated with clay sculptures, stored in them various values (manuscripts, drawings, embroidery, samples of calligraphy). The frescoes are influenced by Western schools of Buddhism: the work “Jataka of the Deer King”, in which the king saves a deer, is distinguished by vitality and dynamism.
The total area of the caves is 45 thousand square meters. The Mogao Caves consist of many small and large caves.
The Mogao Caves are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.