The Mogao Caves are located approximately 25 kilometers southeast of the city of Dunhuang and date back to 366 AD. In total, there are 492 caves containing over 200 sculptures painted by artists from across Central Asia. To protect the cliff walls, five large monasteries were built in the form of pagoda-like structures. As early as the 11th century, monks bricked up the monastery library, which contained around 50,000 manuscripts, to protect it from invaders. During the Ming Dynasty, the caves were forgotten and slowly buried under desert sands. They were rediscovered by chance in 1900. Thanks to the dry desert climate, the library, precious wall paintings, and statues survived over time. Today, visitors are only allowed to enter the caves in groups to protect them from decay.
The artists predominantly painted scenes of daily life intertwined with Buddhist mysticism. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, when the first economic contacts with foreign countries were established, images featuring boats, carts, and looms were prevalent.
Since 1987, the Mogao Caves have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
