Caves of the thousand buddhas 莫高窟
The Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, also known as the Mogao Caves, are situated southeast of the Dunhuang oasis town in Gansu province. Carved into the cliffs above the Dachuan River, the first construction began in 366 AD by a Buddhist monk named Lie Zun, who had a vision of a thousand buddhas. They are renowned for the statues and wall paintings from the 4th to 14th century, spanning of 1,000 years of Buddhist religious art.
Historically, Dunhuang had been a major commercial hub on the Silk Road and acted as a busy desert crossroad on the caravan routes linking China and the West; it was a religious center for Buddhist monks and missionaries. However, as Buddhism reached its peak during the Tang Dynasty, newly discovered sea routes gradually replaced the Silk Road as it became more accessible and predictable the importance of land routes declined. Many oasis towns were deserted and as a result, the Mogao Caves were largely forgotten.
In 1907, the Hungarian born explorer, Aurel Stein, led an expedition to Dunhuang. In the Hidden Chapel, he discovered original sutras brought from India, Buddhist texts written in Sanskrit, Sogdian, Tibetan, Uighur, Runic- Turkic, Chinese, and other languages, sculptures, manuscripts, relics, silk paintings, etc. Many of these relics are now displayed in the British Museum, Louvre Museum, National Library of China, Bibliotheque Nationale, and the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg.
The Caves of the Thousand Buddhas became one of the World Heritage Sites in 1987. There are currently 492 caves preserved housing about 4,500 square meters of murals and 2,000 painted sculptures.
In 1907, the Hungarian born explorer, Aurel Stein, led an expedition to Dunhuang. In the Hidden Chapel, he discovered original sutras brought from India, Buddhist texts written in Sanskrit, Sogdian, Tibetan, Uighur, Runic- Turkic, Chinese, and other languages, sculptures, manuscripts, relics, silk paintings, etc. Many of these relics are now displayed in the British Museum, Louvre Museum, National Library of China, Bibliotheque Nationale, and the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg.
The Caves of the Thousand Buddhas became one of the World Heritage Sites in 1987. There are currently 492 caves preserved housing about 4,500 square meters of murals and 2,000 painted sculptures.