Why We Love Dunhuang

The Northern Zhou Dynasty was not a period in favour of Buddhism in China, but Cave 428 built during this time has the largest number of donor images in the Dunhuang Mogao complex. Its murals also tell one of the most well-known Buddhist stories of self-sacrifice.

Dunhuang Mogao Cave 249 is a grand gathering of magical animals and deities from Chinese mythology, as well as some from other cultures. Who are they and why are they there?

With its design, rich content, religious objects, aesthetic ideals, and art form, Cave 285 is considered one of the most special in Dunhuang. It also provides great evidence for the time of construction of the cave.

What makes Cave 285 one of the most special ones in Dunhuang? Why it is the earliest-dated cave in Dunhuang? and what do the sun god and moon god look like in ancient China?

Among all the Buddha statues in the Mogao Grottoes, which one has gained fame as the “Mona Lisa of the East” with his attractive and mysterious smile?

On the mural paintings of Cave 257, you can find one of the most famous mythical creatures in china, the Nine-Colored Deer. What’s the story of this magic deer?

Why would a prince give up the secular world and pursue a religious life? Why would a king offer his flesh to save a dove? The wall paintings of Dunhuang Mogao Cave 275 have some interesting Buddhist stories to tell.

The earliest caves in Dunhuang were constructed about 1,600 years ago. What do the caves look like? How could ancient Chinese sculptors tackle the problem of depicting lions without ever having seen a real one?

In the modern Olympic Games, equestrian is the only category of sport where athletes work with animals. The relation between humans and horses were also vividly depicted in the Dunhuang murals a thousand year ago. Why is there so much horse-related content in Dunhuang?

How did the Dunhuang people live more than a thousand years ago? What was their attitude towards life and death? Their happiness and struggles have all been recorded inside the Caves.