In which city are the Mogao Grottoes located? What is the history of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang?

Mogao Grottoes, commonly known as the Thousand Buddha Caves, are located in Dunhuang at the western end of the Hexi Corridor. It was first built during the reign of Emperor Xuanzhao of the Former Qin Dynasty, Fu Jian, and later went through the Northern Dynasties, Sui Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Western Xia Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty and other dynasties, forming a huge scale. It is the largest and most content-rich Buddhist art site in the world. So which city is the Mogao Grottoes located in? What is the history of the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes? Let's take a look at the introduction of Encyclopedia Knowledge Network below!

Contents of this article

1. Which city is the Mogao Grottoes located in?

2. What is the history of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang?

3. What are the murals in the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang?

4. What is the altitude of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang?

Which city is Mogao Grottoes located in?

1. Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes are located in Dunhuang City, Gansu Province. Mogao Grottoes, commonly known as the Thousand Buddha Caves, are located in Dunhuang at the western end of the Hexi Corridor.

2. It was first built in the Former Qin period of the Sixteen Kingdoms, and went through construction in the Sixteen Kingdoms, Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Western Xia, Yuan and other dynasties, forming a huge scale with 735 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals, and 2,415 clay sculptures. It is the largest and most content-rich existing Buddhist art site in the world.

What is the history of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes?

Mogao Caves (Dunhuang Caves), commonly known as the Thousand Buddha Caves, are known as the most valuable cultural discovery of the 20th century. They are located in Dunhuang at the western end of the Hexi Corridor and are famous for their exquisite murals and statues. It was first built in the Former Qin period of the Sixteen Kingdoms, and has been built through the Sixteen Kingdoms, Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Western Xia, and Yuan dynasties, forming a huge scale. There are currently 735 caves, 40,000 to 50,000 square meters of murals, and 2,415 clay sculptures. It is the largest and most content-rich Buddhist art sanctuary in the world.

What are the murals in the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang?

The murals in the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang include stories about cause and effect, ascetic practices and good deeds, Buddhist story paintings that publicize the life and deeds of Sakyamuni, and preaching pictures, which are concentrated in Caves 272, 275 and 286, which were the earliest excavated.

The excavation of Mogao Grottoes was due to a monk named Le Zun. It is said that in 366 AD, Le Zun traveled here and suddenly saw the golden light on Mingsha Mountain, which looked like thousands of Buddhas. He was enlightened and carved the first cave on the cliff. Since then, many merchants on the Silk Road have made wishes to excavate caves here in order to pray for a smooth journey and prosperous business, and asked folk artists to paint the images of the gods they worshipped. From the Sixteen Kingdoms to the Yuan Dynasty, the excavation of Mogao Grottoes continued for 10 dynasties. The characters in the murals at that time were half-naked and had extremely exaggerated movements. Their faces and expressions were full of quiet and mysterious colors, with a kind of Western Buddhist artistic conception and style.

What is the altitude of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes?

The Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang are located between 1,320 and 1,380 meters above sea level.

Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, commonly known as the Thousand Buddha Caves, are located in Dunhuang at the western end of the Hexi Corridor. It was first built during the Former Qin period of the Sixteen Kingdoms, and has been built over the course of the Sixteen Kingdoms, Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Western Xia, and Yuan dynasties, forming a huge scale with 735 caves, 40,000 to 50,000 square meters of murals, and 2,415 clay sculptures. It is the largest and most content-rich Buddhist art site in the world.