Located on cliffs 25 km southeast of Dunhuang.The first cave of the Mogao Grottoes was carved out in the year 366 and so far it has a history of more than 1600 years. Artworks of this treasure house cover architectural designs, sculptures and murals, and what has been preserved are 491 caves with 2,415 colored statues and 45,000 sq. m of murals. It is the greatest and most consummate gallery of Buddhist art in the world.

The colored statues are divided into four categories, namely Buddha including Sakyamuni, Maitreya, Bhaisajyaguru (Medicine Buddha) and Amitabha; bodhisattva including Avalokitesvara, Manjusri, Samantabhadra and Bodhisattva the Great Power-coming; disciples of the Buddha including Ananda and Kasyapa; and heavenly warriors and earth dieties. All the statues reflect vividly the characteristics of different periods.

The murals of mogao Grottoes, with Buddhist stories,figures in Buddhist scriptures,storids of natural lives, buddhist statues , apsaras,and decorative patterns and designs as the chief subject matter, reveal the great and profund Buddhist philosophical thinking. They also reflect the life and various societal aspects of China for a period of over 1,600 years.