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12-OCT-2002
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© Luis Curran |
Mogao Buddhist Caves
Dunhuang, Gansu Province
Dunhuang was a major stop on the Silk Road, the town where two important routes divided, or came together. Many Buddhist monks traveled along this road, and so Dunhuang became a center for Buddhist art, teaching, and scholarly study.
It’s believed one monk had a vision of a thousand Buddhas, and began carving this vision into his hermit’s cave near Dunhuang. As more monks arrived, they dug out countless more caves along the ridge of sandstone in the Mingsha Mountains, leaving their own carvings, frescoes, and painted statues. Over the course of 1,000 years, the caves have reflected a variety of Buddhist art styles.
