Dunhuang was of great importance as a defensive and cultural center on the western borders of the Chinese empire at various points in its history, especially as an important part of Silk Road. Dunhuang region was also become the site of very important Buddhist monastic complexes, the most famous of which was at the Mogao Grottoes.

Location of Mogao Grottoes
Top Attraction along Silk Road

Mogao Grottoes situated at a strategic point along the Silk Route, at the crossroads of trade as well as religious, cultural and intellectual influences. It is about 25 kilometres south-east of the oasis town of Dunhuang in Gansu province, western China, in the middle of the desert. Mogao Grottoes are famous for their statues and wall paintings, spanning 1,000 years of Buddhist art.

Overview of Mogao Grottoes
Mogao Caves

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.
Mostly all the famous caves were excavated and filled with exquisite Buddhist art, manuscripts and treasures. Because its masterpiece design and architecture of Chinese art, Mogao Grottoes has listed as China first World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. The complex of grottoes represents a unique artistic achievement, an outstanding example of a Buddhist rock art sanctuary.

How to Get Mogao Grottoes?
Located little bit far from Dunhuang, 25km from the closest town, most people visit by taxi or private car. Visitors are also can take the green city bus to Mogao for 8 yuan each way. The bus also stops at the train station, and stops in front of the Silk Road hotel in Dunhuang city.
For your convenience, you can also reserve the tour to Dunhuang or our Silk Road Tour.

Some Information about Mogao Grottoes
Visitors are not allowed to take pictures inside the cave. More than that, to prevent damage to the caves' Buddhist frescoes new rules are also requires. All individual tourists should make a phone or online reservation before visiting the Buddhist shrine. And the maximum time tourists are allowed to spend in each cave will be shortened from the current eight minutes to five.

Silk Route not just about the ancient business route but also filled with lots of cultural and religious sites along the road. Mogao Grottoes is one that you should not be missed.