Mogao Grottoes (莫高窟)

Mogao Grottoes [Photo by Chen Qiuping/China.org.cn]

The Mogao Grottoes, or Mogao Caves, one of China's top three grottoes which contains the largest, best preserved and richest treasure house of Buddhist art in the whole world, lies 25 kilometers southeast of Dunhuang. A monk named Yue Seng chiseled the first cave there in 366 A.D., during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420 A.D.). The endeavor continued throughout later dynasties, up until the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), resulting in the fantastic group of caves we can still see here today. A total of 492 caves with some 2,100 colored statues and 45,000 square meters of murals have stood the test of time; a number of them are open to visitors.