![Picture](/uploads/2/6/9/7/26977240/203678453.jpg?244)
(a.k.a Caves of the Thousand Buddhas) (a UNESCO world heritage site)
Location: Dunhuang County, Gansu Province. At the eastern foot of Mount Mingsha, 25 kilometers southeast of the County seat. (40.0372° N, 94.8042° E)
Why: These caves did not just serve as a historical record. The primary reason for their creation was so that they could serve as places of mediation and worship. Pilgrims would also stop here to translate sutras while merchants and nobles would come to help ensure the success of their business or the benefit of their souls.
Location: Dunhuang County, Gansu Province. At the eastern foot of Mount Mingsha, 25 kilometers southeast of the County seat. (40.0372° N, 94.8042° E)
Why: These caves did not just serve as a historical record. The primary reason for their creation was so that they could serve as places of mediation and worship. Pilgrims would also stop here to translate sutras while merchants and nobles would come to help ensure the success of their business or the benefit of their souls.
The Mogao Caves were first constructed in 366 AD. All of the caves represent the great achievement of Buddhist art from the 4th to the 14th century. 429 preserved caves currently make up the Mogao caves. In total, these caves house more than 2,000 painted sculptures, 45,000 square meters of murals, and up to 50,000 manuscripts. The caves can be considered as a kind of “history book”. They not only contained depictions of cultural exchanges along the Silk Road, but they also showed scenes of the country throughout the different Chinese dynasties. The content of the manuscripts found in the “Library Cave” vary from Buddhist commentaries to works from the Chinese government and dictionaries.