Chinese Buddhist Cave Art: Mogao, Yungang, and Longmen Grottoes

Chinese Buddhist cave art represents one of the greatest concentrations of religious art in the world — a tradition of carving and decorating cave temples that stretched from the 4th century CE to the 14th century, producing thousands of caves decorated with millions of carved and painted figures.

The Mogao Caves

The Mogao Caves (莫高窟) near Dunhuang in Gansu Province are the most spectacular. First carved in 366 CE, the 492 surviving caves contain some of the finest examples of Buddhist art from over a thousand years, including the Diamond Sutra — the world's oldest dated printed book (868 CE).

Yungang and Longmen

The Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi Province and the Longmen Grottoes in Henan Province are the other two major cave sites, all three designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The caves contain thousands of carved figures — from monumental 17-meter Buddha statues to tiny contemplative figures carved in their thousands.