Mogao Grottoes (Caves of the Thousand Buddhas)
At a crossroads of the Silk Road, Buddhist monks dug 492 caves out of rock and carved more than 2,000 sculptures that they embellished with clay and paint. Over a millennium (6 to 16 centuries ago), the monks painted murals across 11 acres of the caves’ walls. They are astonishing not only in scope, but in beauty: five levels of cave art reflecting Buddhism, local history, and daily life.
