The Mogao Caves were added to the list in December 1987. (locate) in the south east of Gansu province, the Mogao caves are also known as the Thousand-Buddha Caves.
According to historical records, the carving of the caves (start) in 366 AD and continued for about 1,000 years. The 492 well-preserved cells and cave sanctuaries (保护区) in Mogao, about 45,000 square metres of wall paintings and more than 2,000 painted sculptures are housed, are well-known their statues and wall paintings.
Painted clay sculptures and wall paintings in the Mogao Grottoes have (main) Buddhist themes, but they also include human figures, (reflect) various societies and cultures of different times. Besides, they also show (paint) styles of combination (结合) of Chinese and Western arts.
In 1900, a total of 4,500 valuable cultural relics dating from 256 AD to 1002 (find) in the Buddhist Sutra Cave. This is regarded as one of the world's greatest Oriental cultural (discovery).
It is important Mogao Caves offers invaluable reference for studying the complex history of ancient China and Central Asia.
