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Mogao Caves at Dunhuang

Type Object Region China Time 366–700

A Buddhist cave complex in the Hexi Corridor, carved continuously from the Eastern Jin through the Northern Dynasties, Sui, and Tang, famed for its m…

Timeline

  1. 366–450Mogao Caves · DunhuangThe monk Yuezun excavated the first cave on the eastern foot of Mingsha Mountain, founding the Mogao Caves; early caves were meditation cells with simple murals, laying the embryo of a Hexi Buddhist art center.
  2. c. 450–618Mogao Caves · DunhuangFrom Northern Wei to Sui, imperial and aristocratic patronage funded cave excavation; cave numbers surged, mural subjects covered jataka tales, sutra transformations, and donor portraits, and painted sculpture grew increasingly mature.
  3. 618–700Mogao Caves · DunhuangThe Tang dynasty was the peak of Mogao excavation; large hall-style caves and apsara and sutra-transformation murals reached artistic summits, making Dunhuang a core node of East-West cultural exchange on the Silk Road.

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