Dunhuang - Mogao Caves, a must-visit reason

The story of the Mogao Caves carries the weight of history, just like those murals, where one layer covers an earlier one, sculpted by the long passage of time, with hardships and devotion. The Scripture Cave 16-17 is a definite part of the visit. The story of the Scripture Cave is well-known; this small cave contains tens of thousands of precious scrolls and artifacts. A century ago, a Taoist priest named Wang accidentally discovered it, which also marked the beginning of the Mogao Caves' tumultuous fate of being plundered. Visiting the Mogao Caves, one can always feel the slight tremors of different historical periods resonating with you at this moment. The intricate caissons, the Thousand Buddha frescoes that have oxidized to a black visage, the solemn statues, and the unique colors of the Mogao Caves can only be captured with the eyes and memory, and cannot simply be taken away with a camera. During the dome movie, a middle-aged man traveling alone sat in the front row, needing to lean back slightly to see the entire screen. After the movie ended and everyone got up, it was discovered that he had entered into a dream, eliciting chuckles from the people around. The experience of visiting the Mogao Caves is similar to that moment, like a dream truly realized. I wonder if his dream also included apsaras flying around. Travel Tips: 1. The Mogao Caves enter the off-season in winter from December 1 to March 31, with tickets priced at 140 yuan, allowing the visit of 12 caves, which is very worthwhile. During the peak season, tickets are divided into Class A and Class B, with Class A including 8 caves, and Class B without the movie, totaling 4 caves. 2. The ticket prices for both off-peak and peak seasons include two digital movies and a round-trip shuttle to the Mogao Caves (Class B does not include the movie during peak season). The visiting process is fixed; you need to first arrive at the Dunhuang Digital Exhibition Center to exchange tickets, watch two movies, and then be divided into small groups of about 20 people, led by a guide to visit the caves, which specific caves to visit is not fixed. 3. The two digital movies are 'Millennium Mogao' and 'Fantasy Buddha Palace'. The first one briefly outlines the history of the Dunhuang Mogao Caves, while the second is a dome movie that displays the cave scenes in a surround format, making you feel as if you are there, with murals and statues seemingly within reach. 4. After the entire visit, you can reserve a special cave visit within the Mogao Caves scenic area, each cave costing between 150-200 yuan, and which specific cave you can visit depends on the actual opening situation. 5. Photography is not allowed inside the caves, and there are 8 replica caves in the Dunhuang Grottoes Cultural Relics Protection Research Exhibition Center within the scenic area, where photography is also not allowed. (These are replicas of caves 003, 217, 276, 419, 285, 249, 275, and Yulin Cave 29) Although they are replicas, they are also very much worth seeing.