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25km away from southeast of Dunhuang, Jiuquan, Gansu.
The largest existing grotto in the world; UNESCO World Heritage site
Mogao Grottoes are located precipice at on the east foot of the Mingsha Hill. First dug in 366 A.D., Mogao Grottoes is one of three noted grottoes in China for its fabulous frescos and statues. And in December 1987the Mogao Grottoes have been included into the List of the World Cultural Heritages by the UNESCO.
Today, the total number of Mogao Grottoes is 492 in which there are over 2,800 sculptures and 45,000 square meters of murals. There are five grottoes with a wooden structure. The Mogao Grottoes is the largest, oldest and the best-preserved Buddhist grottoes with the richest contents in the world today.
The painted clay figures and the murals in Mogao Caves came into being at the same time. The ensuing thousand years witnessed their recreation, perfection as well as absorption of the merits of western ancient arts from India, Greece, Iran etc on the national basis. It has become a brilliant pearl in the Chinese art treasure troves.
UNESCO World Cultural Heritage: Mogao Caves in Dunhuang is listed as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage with the vivid frescoes, intricate statues and celestial ceiling paintings of Buddhist art.
One of the greatest grottoes arts in the world: The murals, sculptures and architectures at Mogao Grottoes are of high value in history and culture on the Silk Road.
One of the three most famous grottoes in China: Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang and Yungang Grottoes in Datong are three most famous grottoes in China.
Cave 96 of Mogao Grottoes was built in the early Tang Dynasty. The eaves of the building are 45 meters high, which are built on the cliffs. Seen from a distance, it is a magnificent nine-story pavilion, commonly known as the nine-storey building. It is the largest building in the Mogao Grottoes and the landmark building of the Mogao Grottoes.
In Cave 96, there is a giant statue of Maitreya(Laughing Buddha), which is 35.5 meters high and is the largest statue in Dunhuang Grottoes. The height of this statue is second only to Leshan Giant Buddha(sitting 62 meters high) and Rongxian Giant Buddha(36.67 meters high) in Sichuan. And it can be called the largest indoor clay sculpture giant Buddha in China. The construction and completion of Cave 96 is a symbol of national prosperity, social stability and economic prosperity of Tang Dynasty.
According to the materials, Cave 96 was first built in Tang Dynasty(695), and it is a four-story double-eaved building, and the statue was painted with gold color. It was changed to five storeys before the 9th century, and was rebuilt in Song Dynasty, Xixia Dynasty and Qing Dynasty. In the Republic of China, the main hall was changed to nine floors.
The West Thousand Buddha Cave is important part of the Dunhuang grottoes, is named because it is located in the west of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes(commonly known as Thousand-Buddha Cave). It is about 35 kilometers away from the Dunhuang city. The Danghe River is in front of the West Thousand Buddha Cave. There are 34 colored sculptures and more than 800 square meters of murals in the West Thousand Buddha Cave. Most of the statues were remolded in the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, and there were also a few statues that kept their original appearance. The style of the mural content is basically the same as that of the Mogao Grottoes at the same time. The West Thousand Buddha Cave has its own characteristics in its grotto art, especially the later generations in each cave have been rebuilt many times, which makes the style characteristics of many times appear in one cave. The West Thousand Buddha Cave and the Mogao Grottoes are complementary and similar, which together constitute the splendid art of Dunhuang Grottoes.
Cave 17 of Mogao Grottoes is the world-famous Dunhuang Scripture Cave, also known as Library Cave. This cave was built in the late Tang Dynasty(851-862). The Scripture Cave has collected more than 50,000 pieces of cultural relics(scripture, embroidery and silk paintings) from the 4th century to the 11th century, covering many fields such as society, geography, economy, literature, art, science and technology.
When it was first built, it was the memorial hall of Hong Bian, a famous monk in Dunhuang. There is a rectangular meditation bed on the ground near the north wall. Sitting on the Zen bed is the statue of Hong Bian monk, which is one of the representative works of Dunhuang colored sculptures. The statue is very realistic, showingthe vivid expressions of him.
Dunhuang Grottoes’ art combines architectures, sculptures and murals. Murals refer to Buddhist paintings painted on the tunnels, walls and top of grottoes in the Mogao Grottoes. The murals in the Mogao Grottoes include murals of Buddhas and Buddhist stories.
Painted sculptures in Dunhuang started in the 4th century, passed through many dynasties, which lasted for more than a thousand years. Now there are more than 3,000 painted sculptures, including more than 2,000 round sculptures and more than 1,000 floating sculptures. There are more than 1,400 original works that are basically intact, most of which have been painted or reshaped by later generations, and some have partially or completely lost their original appearance. However, like the Mogao Grottoes, it is rare in China and the world to preserve as many ancient colored sculptures as it has lasted for a long time and its skill is exquisite.
Mogao Grottoes is about 25 kilometers from Dunhuang, where you can take taxi to the Mogao Grottoes.
From $ 624
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