Mogao Caves
Located 25 km southeast of Dunhuang city, on the southern side of Mingsha Mountain, the Mogao Caves are China’s largest cave complex. Their finest treasures are the murals and painted sculptures,…
Mogao Caves, Dunhuang · AI illustration for China Trip
Key facts
- Admission
- Peak season: full ticket ¥238 (admission to 8 physical caves ¥180 + digital film ¥48 + round-trip shuttle to Mogao ¥10); film-only ticket ¥50 (includes the digital film “Millennium Mogao” and the dome film “Dreamlike Buddhist Palace”) Off-season: full ticket ¥140 (admission to 12 physical caves ¥90 + digital film ¥40 + round-trip shuttle to Mogao ¥10); Flying Apsaras special route ticket ¥140 (guided visit on the Flying Apsaras theme route + digital virtual experience); film-only ticket ¥40 (includes the digital film “Millennium Mogao” and the dome film “Dreamlike Buddhist Palace”)
- Opening hours
- 7:50–16:00 (April–November); 8:50–15:00 (December–March)
- Time needed
- More than 3 hours
- Getting there
- Take a taxi from the city centre, or ride Bus 12, which goes directly to the scenic area
- Guidebook rating
- 5 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 753. Open in Google Maps
About Mogao Caves
Located 25 km southeast of Dunhuang city, on the southern side of Mingsha Mountain, the Mogao Caves are China’s largest cave complex. Their finest treasures are the murals and painted sculptures, created from the Former Qin dynasty through the Sui and Tang, making them a treasure of Chinese art. In 1900, the Daoist monk Wang Yuanlu discovered the Library Cave, which held nearly 60,000 historical artefacts, including Buddhist scriptures in various scripts, historical records, letters, literary works and social documents, making it a treasure trove for the study of Chinese history from the 4th to the 11th century. Unfortunately, social upheaval in the late Qing and early Republican periods led to large numbers of these materials being taken away by foreigners, and fewer than one-third of the Library Cave artefacts remain in China. Today there are 492 caves, containing 2,415 painted sculptures and 45,000 square metres of murals. The Nine-Storey Pavilion is the emblem of the Mogao Caves; it houses a 34-metre Tang-dynasty Buddha made of clay over a stone core, which, together with another 26-metre Buddha, is known as the Northern and Southern Great Buddhas.
Tips from the guidebook
- 1. Museum: The Mogao Caves Cultural Relics Museum stands opposite the caves. It holds a large number of physical models and reproduces several representative caves at their original scale. Since lighting is not permitted inside the actual caves, the caves in the museum are better for viewing, so visiting the museum is an important part of touring Mogao.
- 2. Visitor rules: Inside the caves you may only use a torch for light. Photography, bags and touching the murals or sculptures are all prohibited. There is a luggage storage facility outside the main entrance, which also rents torches.
- 3. Preparation: Before entering the caves, non-specialists are advised to read an introductory book about Mogao, as the murals are hard to understand without some background.
- 4. Best time to visit: Early morning is best, as visitor numbers are limited and the light is better. The full visit takes about 4 hours.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Mogao Caves cost?
Admission to Mogao Caves is Peak season: full ticket ¥238 (admission to 8 physical caves ¥180 + digital film ¥48 + round-trip shuttle to Mogao ¥10); film-only ticket ¥50 (includes the digital film “Millennium Mogao” and the dome film “Dreamlike Buddhist Palace”) Off-season: full ticket ¥140 (admission to 12 physical caves ¥90 + digital film ¥40 + round-trip shuttle to Mogao ¥10); Flying Apsaras special route ticket ¥140 (guided visit on the Flying Apsaras theme route + digital virtual experience); film-only ticket ¥40 (includes the digital film “Millennium Mogao” and the dome film “Dreamlike Buddhist Palace”), as listed in the 2025 guidebook. Prices can change; check the official channel before you go.
What are the opening hours of Mogao Caves?
Mogao Caves is open 7:50–16:00 (April–November); 8:50–15:00 (December–March).
How do I get to Mogao Caves?
Take a taxi from the city centre, or ride Bus 12, which goes directly to the scenic area
How long should I spend at Mogao Caves?
Plan on More than 3 hours for Mogao Caves.
Where is Mogao Caves?
Mogao Caves is in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, in the Northwest of China.
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Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring Scenic Area
The 40-km-long Mingsha Mountain glows with golden sand, and camel trains carry cheerful visitors across the dune crests. Crescent Lake, cradled on three sides by the dunes, is revered as a sacred spring because “the sand never fills the water, and the water never dries up.” Mingsha Mountain, Crescent Lake and the art of the Mogao Caves form one landscape. Together, they are the “two wonders” of southern Dunhuang. Some say Crescent Lake is a teardrop in the sand. The best times to see Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake: sunrise on summer mornings and sunset on summer evenings; in winter, midday is best. The sunset over Mingsha Mountain is spectacular and not to be missed, so plan your visit for a summer dusk. When riding camels in the scenic area, agree on the price beforehand to avoid trouble. The dunes are very windy, so take some precautions.
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West Thousand Buddha Caves
These caves date from the same period as the Mogao Caves and lie just across Mingsha Mountain from them. Their structure, painted sculptures and mural style are close to the Mogao system, and they contain statues and murals. However, due to natural erosion and human damage, only 16 caves survive, of which 9 are open to visitors.
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