The Dunhuang Caves Complex

"The Dunhuang Caves" is the collective term for the Buddhist caves carved into the cliffs of ancient Dunhuang and Jinchang prefectures. These caves are located in present-day Dunhuang City, Guazhou County, Subei Mongolian Autonomous County, and Yumen City in Gansu Province. The complex includes several key sites: the famous Mogao Caves, the Western Thousand-Buddha Caves, the Yulin Caves in Guazhou, the Eastern Thousand-Buddha Caves, the Shuixiakou Lower Caves, the Five-Temple Caves and the One-Temple Cave in Subei, and the Changma Caves in Yumen. The Mogao Caves is the largest and most famous of these sites, located in ancient Dunhuang Prefecture, which served as the political, economic, and cultural center of the region. Despite their geographic spread, all the caves share a common artistic lineage, which is why they are collectively referred to as the Dunhuang Caves.

The largest in the Dunhuang Caves Complex is the Mogao Caves, which has gained worldwide recognition as a representative site of the Dunhuang Caves. In fact, each cave once enjoyed a specific reputation and preserves unique artistic achievements. Among them, the Western Thousand-Buddha Caves is located between the ancient cities of Dunhuang and Yangguan. Historical records show that these caves were carved before the Mogao Caves. The Yulin Caves, situated at the western end of the Hexi Corridor in Guazhou—an important hub along the ancient Silk Road, exemplifies the essence of late Dunhuang art. The Eastern Thousand-Buddha Caves, located east of the Yulin Caves, primarily features content related to Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, reflecting the influence of Indian Buddhism after the 11th Century. The Lower Caves, Five-Temple Caves, One-Temple Cave, and Changma Caves may be fewer in number in terms of caves, but their existing murals date from after the Five Dynasties (907-960) and serve as tangible evidence of the ancient artistic landscape of Dunhuang. If the Mogao Caves represents a comprehensive history of Chinese medieval art, each of the other caves in the Dunhuang Caves Complex contributes distinctly unique beauty, enriching the area's artistic history with an enchanting, mysterious allure.

敦煌石窟群

敦煌石窟是對中國古代敦煌郡和晉昌郡就巖鐫鑿之佛教石窟的總稱，位于今甘肅省敦煌市、瓜州縣、肅北蒙古族自治縣和玉門市境內，范圍包括今敦煌莫高窟、西千佛洞，瓜州榆林窟、東千佛洞、水峽口下洞子石窟，肅北五個廟石窟、一個廟石窟和玉門昌馬石窟。因其最大的石窟莫高窟位于古敦煌郡，各石窟的藝術風格又同屬一脈，且古敦煌郡為兩郡之政治、經濟、文化中心，故以敦煌石窟作為統稱。

敦煌石窟中現存規模最大的是莫高窟，并因此成為敦煌石窟的代表而名聞天下。實際上，這里的每一座石窟都曾有過自己的輝煌，并保存著獨具特色的藝術成就。其中，西千佛洞位于敦煌古城與陽關之間，根據文字記載，其開鑿時間早于莫高窟；榆林窟所在地瓜州位于河西走廊的西端，與敦煌同為古代絲綢之路上的重鎮，集中體現敦煌晚期藝術的精華；東千佛洞位于榆林窟以東，是一個以藏傳密教內容為主的佛教石窟群，反映出11世紀以后中印佛教文化交流的情況；下洞子石窟、五個廟石窟、一個廟石窟和昌馬石窟，這四處石窟洞窟雖數量不多，現存壁畫均為五代之后的作品，但也是古代敦煌藝術地域范圍的實物見證。如果說莫高窟是一部完整的中國中古藝術史，那敦煌石窟群中的其他石窟則各有各的綺麗，為這部藝術史錦上添花，散發出神秘迷人的光彩。