Mogao Caves
The Mogao Caves are a system of 492 rock-cut cells and sanctuaries near Dunhuang, in the desert landscape of Gansu Province. Because of its strategic position along the Silk Route, the caves attracted many pilgrims and a variety of cultural influences from the 4th until the 14th century.
The complex once held over 1000 caves with rock art. About 40 of them date from the Northern Wei-dynasty (385-557). More were added during the Sui-dynasty (581-618). Most of the caves were made during the Tang-dynasty (until ca. 750), when Buddhism and the Silk Route were in their prime.
The caves were made a WHS because of the artistic achievement (statues and wall paintings), the cultural exchange they represent and the Buddhist monastic history.
Visit November 2007
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The Mogao Caves are located in a little oasis just outside Dunhuang city. I arrived at 2.30 p.m. and had to wait until a small group had gathered. I forgot to ask about an English speaking guide at the ticket booth which is about 1 kilometer away from the cave entrance. So I ended up with a Chinese tour, with 11 other visitors. Photographing is not allowed.
The tour took us to nine of the caves plus the Hidden Library exhibition. The caves we visited included the two large buddhas, the reclining buddha and examples of Wei and Tang dynasty carvings. The story of the Hidden Library, and how its contents were first given away by its discoverer Wang Yuanlu and later 'bought' by non-Chinese explorers (British, American, Russian and Japanese) plays a prominent role in the tour. I got the feeling that the extremely strict visiting rules of today are a compensation for this past abuse.
This was my final visit of the four groups of buddhist rock art in China (Dazu, Longmen and Yungang were the others). The Mogao Caves are the oldest of these four, and differ from the others because of their elaborate wallpaintings and decorated floors.
My feelings about visiting Mogao are a mixture of these described below by Paul Tanner and Renae in their reviews. Visiting out-of-season and in the late afternoon is definitely a plus. Also the tours now all take two hours and have good guides, which is good value for the 80 Yuan entry fee (100 Yuan if you want a guide in a foreign language). But, there is a but, I only got to know the immensity of this site after I bought a book about them, and got to see what is in all the other caves. The tour does give you a good sample of the styles, but the wealth behind these doors must be overwhelming. I didn´t leave Mogao with the same Wow-feeling that I had in Dazu and Yungang where everything is out in the open and for all to see.
More photos can be found in the Picture Gallery
Reviews
Renae (US):
I just visited the Mogao Caves this morning and thought they were absolutely amazing! It is February, meaning that it is the off season for this area. We arrived in Dunhuang and were quite surprised at all of the hotels, restaurants, and shops closed for the season. Yet the two highlights (the caves and Sand Dunes) were still open, in addition to many other things in the city.
One great benefit of going in the off season is that there were very few tourists. In fact, my friend and I got a private tour by a good English speaking guide, meaning we got to take our time and ask questions, which provided an excellent experience. After learning the history of the area and of the art inside the caves I was very impressed. Though some of the art is very deteriorated, for being hundreds of years old some of it is in excellent condition. Many of the caves are closed, but I think we got to see most of the popular ones and I was happy with the selection.
I highly recommend this place to anyone interested in the Silk Road or Buddhist art. |
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Paul Tanner (UK):
 When one writes a WHS review there is perhaps a feeling that one needs to emphasise what a great experience the visit was – after all one put a lot of time, effort and money into getting there! The Mogao Caves however provided what must be one of the worst “viewing experiences” of the 400+ WHS we have seen to date! We have travelled in China 5 times, 4 of these independently, and to most areas, so are experienced in the frustrations and difficulties of a Westerner trying to see that country – the crowds, the hassle, the rip-offs, the shrug of the shoulders accompanied by “mei banfa” (“there’s no way”) to show that the person you are dealing with “doesn’t give a damn” etc - but recognise that there are many compensations too!
We were crossing from Islamabad to Beijing along the “Silk Road” and had reached the oasis of Dunhuang, the nearest town to the Mogao caves. In front of the site was a vast car park with hundreds of minibuses and crowds of people. Only groups are allowed inside and, as 2 foreigners, we had to wait for ages in a room until a few more people of various nationalities had congregated. We paid the large differential charges for foreigners and were then rushed through a few caves by a poor guide. No photos were allowed inside the fenced area – ie not just inside the caves themselves (which is not unreasonable to spare the paintings from flash deterioration – but one can’t avoid the feeling that it is more to save the postcard monopoly!). Many of the best caves were closed, only available at an extra fee or to VIPs. The others were incredibly crowded – and there can be few things noisier than a crowd of Chinese in a cave!
I can honestly say that I remember little of the “fabulous art” on display!
Now, we fully appreciate that WHS sites are not on the list purely for tourists to visit and there is no doubt that the Mogao caves justify their inscription for their art, manuscripts and what they represent historically. The story of how they were “rediscovered” in 1907 and how the “perfidious” British (originally Hungarian) archaeologist Aurel Stein persuaded the simple monk Wang to allow 1000s of the most valuable manuscripts to be spirited away (and was followed a year later by a Frenchman before the Chinese government stopped the transactions) is the stuff of archaeological legend. Look on the British Museum Web site under “Mogao” and you will see just how much they still have – including the “Diamond Sutra”, the World’s oldest dated “printed” book.
But our mindset and the circumstances of the visit perhaps detracted from our appreciation of what we saw. I fully admit to not finding Buddhist art particularly enthralling – yet another cave full of paintings of Bodhisattvas and Apsaras! I rather shamefacedly admit to a similar feeling in western museums such as the Uffizi on entering a room full of paintings of fleshy cherubs – all very nice and colourful but does it really do anything for me?
The desert cliff-side location of Mogao could/should provide atmosphere and help one imagine this place in the 4th century when it was on the trade route by which Buddhism ENTERED China (think of Bamiyan in pre-Islamic Central Asia)! Despite their rip-off prices to foreigners the Chinese make no attempt to present the place in a historical or artistic context. We had already seen other caves from this movement at Bezeklik near Turpan. These are in a more impressive setting albeit that the art inside them is in no way comparable.
So, unless you are doing the Silk Road for other reasons or are great aficionados of Buddhist art and want to see it in situ, I wouldn’t bother making the long journey to Dunhuang. There are plenty of other significant Buddhist caves in China, 3 of which are WHS (Dazu, Longmen and Yungang) |
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