Brief information on Thousand-Buddha Cave  

The Thousand-Buddha Cave is part of Dunhuang’s Mogao Grottoes. It is situated to the west of Mogao Caves, 35 kilometers (about 22 miles) from Dunhuang City. Because the frescos in this cave are similar in structure and artistic style to those found in Mogao Caves, the Thousand-Buddha Cave is placed in the Dunhuang Buddhist art tradition. There is speculation that this cave may have emerged earlier than the Mogao Caves.

There are 16 caves, over 800 square meters of murals, and 34 painted clay statues. Some of the caverns were made in the Tang Dynasty and others in the Wei Dynasty. Unfortunately, some of the caves have collapsed and only ten of them are open to the public.

In cave no. 4, there are several large statues. They have strong bodies and slender eyebrows. In cave no. 5, there is an inscription written by a Buddhist disciple called Tianzang for the figures of his dead grandparents and parents. In cavern no. 9, there is a unique structure shaped like nomad’s yurt, serving as a valuable reference for research into the ethnic customs of Gansu Province.

The landscape surrounding the Thousand-Buddha Cave is blessed with healthy ancient trees and a nearby brook that runs clear and clean, making this impressive repository of Buddhist art feel like Xanadu.

*You can download the bilingual note to show it to a taxi driver or someone else to find your way to Thousand-Buddha Cave if you plan to visit Thousand-Buddha Cave and have language problems.

   

Chinese Pinyin: qian fo dong
Opening Time: 08:00-17:00
Location: 35 kms west of Dunhuang
Ticket Price: CNY 35