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Located in Dunhuang City, Gansu Province, Mogao Grottoes is a Buddhist cave temple site commonly known as the Thousand Buddha Caves. It was built in the period of the Sixteen Kingdoms, after the construction of many dynasties, it is one of the largest existing Buddhist grottoes in the world, the longest construction time, the richest content and the most complete preservation.
The Mogao Grottoes, commonly known as the Thousand Buddha Caves, are located near the city of Dunhuang in Gansu Province in northwestern China. The history of the Mogao Grottoes dates back to 366 AD, when a monk named Lezun is said to have dug the first cave in Sanwei Mountain near Dunhuang. In the more than 1,000 years since then, the Mogao Grottoes have undergone the construction of many dynasties and have become one of the world's largest, longest-running, richest and best-preserved Buddhist cave temple sites.
Known as an art gallery in the desert and a museum on the walls, the Mogao Grottoes are known for their exquisite murals and statues. There are thousands of portraits of donors, more than 1,000 of which still have preserved inscriptions, providing us with many valuable historical conditions and clues. There are a total of 735 caves in the grotto, and the area of the frescoes is up to 450,000 square meters, and 2,415 clay sculptures.
In the 1,000-year process of the construction of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Chinese history has experienced a long-term secession after the Han Dynasty, to ethnic integration, north-south unification, and then to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty and its subsequent decline. This period is an important stage of development in China, and the Mogao Grottoes have witnessed the rise and fall of this period of history.
The Mogao Grottoes are an important heritage of Chinese Buddhist culture, and they have preserved a large number of Buddhist murals and statues, demonstrating the exquisite skills and rich connotations of ancient Chinese Buddhist art. Secondly, the Mogao Grottoes are also an important witness to ancient Chinese society and culture, which reflects the political, economic, cultural and social life of the society at that time. In addition, the Mogao Grottoes are also an important witness to the cultural exchange between the East and the West, absorbing cultural elements from India, Central Asia and West Asia, while also spreading Chinese culture to the outside world.
In addition, the artistic achievements of the Mogao Grottoes not only reflected the religious, cultural and artistic features of the society at that time, but also had a profound impact on the development of art in the future. It is a treasure of human civilization and has attracted the attention and research of countless art lovers and scholars.