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Why the Mogao Caves are special
The man made Mogao Caves contain over 40,000 colorful
wall art. If laid side by side, they
would extend 30 kilometers (20 miles).
 The Mogao Caves also contain thousands of painted statues (see photo) and scholarly scrolls.
Interesting insights
about the Mogao Caves
 The wall paintings
have retained much of their bright hues
because of the dry desert climate.
The Mogao cave art (mainly Buddha related)
first appeared in the 4th
century and continued, with some interruptions, over the next thousand years.
Although most of the artwork and scrolls relate with
Buddha, some encompass other religious and philosophical persuasions including Confucianism and Taoism.
For a long period, many of the Mogao Caves were sealed and forgotten. And, few people beyond the locals knew of the existence of the
accessible caves - that is until about one hundred years ago when Western World museums and art dealers became
aware of the artistic treasures. Soon, they and their Chinese agents began exporting many of the
irreplaceable scrolls to the West. Fortunately, nearly all the wall drawings and painted statues were
left behind.
Interesting insights
about the Mogao Caves
The caves are on the fabled Silk Road trade route
that once commercially linked China and Europe.
The Mogao Caves are also known as the "Mogao
Grottoes," "Dunhaung Caves" and the "Caves of a Thousand Buddhas".
Tip for your
vacation tour or trip
Only several dozen of the 492 existing Mogao Caves are open
to the general public (for preservation purposes). However, most of the allowed caves are remarkable,
especially Cave 96. This multi-stored cavern houses a stunning 33
meter (110 foot) high statue of Buddha.
Nearest major airport
The Mogao Caves are 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the
desert oasis town of Dunhaung (which has an airport) in Gansu province.
Pronunciation
Magao: Mah-gow'oh
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