Carved out of the cliffs 25 km southeast of Dunhuang, Gansu province, Mogao Grottoes lay at a strategic point on the ancient Silk Road, where religion, culture and commerce between East and West intersected for 1,000 years from the 4th century until the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

There are 492 caves, 2,415 sculptures and 45,000 sq m of murals at the site, which spans 1,600 m from north to south.

The Mogao Grottoes gained international fame in 1900, when a local monk broke through the wall of a cave and found 50,000 cultural relics from the 4th to 14th centuries. He found Buddhist scriptures, embroidery, paintings, letters, works of literature, contracts and account books written in many languages.

With long winters and short hot summers, the area is most pleasant to visit between June and September. Long-sleeved shirts and sunglasses are advisable during the day and a sweater is necessary in the evening.

Most tourists spend the night in the city of Dunhuang and then take a bus to reach the Mogao Grottoes. The journey takes about an hour. To find a local tour guide, it's best to get to the grotto before 9 am.

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(China Daily August 14, 2008)