the Tang Dynasty. At the same time, the monastic community reached its peak. However, new sea routes gradually took place of the Silk Road after a period and Mogao was neglected. The caves there were abandoned in the 14th century. In 1900, a Taoist monk Wang Yuanlu came to Mogao Caves by chance. He realized its importance at once and determined to excavate and renovate the caves. After severe damage, the Mogao Caves became a national monument in 1961. Today, it’s a key scenic spot.

Legend and Story
According to a legend, Lie Zun a Buddhist monk established the first cave in 366 AD. He had a vision of a thousand Buddhas and persuaded a wealthy Silk Road pilgrim to sponsor the first temple. Later, many people followed his example.

Present condition
There’re altogether 600 surviving cave temples, but only 30 of them are open to the public.

Transportation.
Visitors can take a minibus to this attraction. If you plan to spend only half a day there, you should get there as early as possible since buses will return to Dunhuang at noon and afternoon buses will return at 18:00.

Admission fee.
The admission fee is RMB 160 from May 1st to October 31st and RMB 80 from November 1st to April 30th.

Note
Mogao Cave is open to the public form 8:10 to 18:00.