The Mògāo Caves are considered one of the most important collections of Buddhist art in the world. At its peak, the site housed 18 monasteries, more than 1400 monks and nuns, and countless artists, translators and calligraphers.
Excellent English-speaking guides are available (and included in the admission price) at 9am, noon and 2pm, and you should be able to arrange tours in other languages as well.
Entrance to the caves is strictly controlled – it’s impossible to visit them on your own. The general admission ticket grants you a two-hour tour (display great interest at the start as your guide has the discretion to make this longer) of around 10 caves, including the infamous Library Cave (cave 17) and a related exhibit containing rare fragments of manuscripts in classical Uighur and Manichean.
Of the 492 caves, 20 ‘open’ caves are rotated fairly regularly. Tours always include the two big Buddhas , 34.5m and 26m tall. It’s also possible to visit some of the more unusual caves for ¥100 to ¥500 per cave.
Photography is strictly prohibited everywhere within the fenced-off caves area. And if it’s raining or snowing or there's a sand storm, the caves will be closed.
After the tour it’s well worth visiting the Dūnhuáng Research Centre , where eight more caves, each representative of a different period, have been flawlessly reproduced, along with selected murals. The 15-minute video on the paintings in cave 254 is also worth watching.
