Dunhuang | The Mogao Caves in the off-season are a treat for those who do their research

The Mogao Caves in the off-season are amazing! Not only are there fewer people, but you can see more caves and the price is lower. It's a great deal! 📕[Preparation] Detailed cave introductions can be found on the Dunhuang Academy website > Cultural Topics > Mogao Caves. Studying in advance will help you understand the site more quickly. 🎫[Ticket Purchase] From December 1 to March 31, off-season tickets are 40% off at just CNY 140. This includes 10 regular caves (8 in peak season), 2 digital movies, and a shuttle bus. We recommend booking tickets in advance on the "Mogao Caves Reservation Website" and choosing an early time slot. 🚶‍♂️[Tour Process] I booked the 10:00 slot and took a taxi to the entrance at 9:20 (arrive 30 minutes before your reservation) > print your ticket at the ticket window > ticket check > enter the theater at 9:30 to watch the first digital movie (I booked the 10:00 slot, but the staff said I could enter) > watch the second digital movie > take the shuttle bus to the bridge outside the Mogao Caves at 10:35 > line up to be assigned a guide (guides vary in quality) > start visiting 10 regular caves at 11:00 > finish at 12:15 and continue exploring after returning the headset (you can line up to buy tickets for special caves) > visit 8 replica caves (3, 217, 249, 275, 276, 285, 419, and Yulin Cave 29) at the Exhibition Center at 13:45 > take the shuttle bus back at 15:00. 📝[Cave Introduction] I visited the following 10 caves (different groups visit different caves). I was so excited I almost cried when I entered the caves: ✅Caves 16 and 17: Cave 16 is a large cave from the late Tang dynasty. Highlights: four-dragon and phoenix caisson, multi-layered murals (outer layer from the Northern Song or Western Xia, inner layer from the late Tang). Cave 17 is in the passageway of Cave 16 and is the world-famous Library Cave. ✅Cave 29: A late Tang cave. Highlights: dragon caisson, flying apsaras, and thousand-Buddha murals. ✅Cave 23: A representative cave from the Tang dynasty. Highlights: murals of the Lotus Sutra. ✅Cave 61: A Five Dynasties cave. Highlights: murals of Mount Wutai (Liang Sicheng found the Foguang Temple in Shanxi based on the murals), star map. ✅Cave 96: An early Tang cave. The nine-story building outside is a symbol of the Mogao Caves. Inside is the largest Maitreya Buddha statue in the Mogao Caves, standing 35.5 meters tall. ✅Cave 292: A large Sui dynasty cave. Highlights: central pillar, three Buddhas, flying apsaras. ✅Cave 296: A representative cave from the Northern Zhou dynasty. Highlights: murals of the Sutra of the Field of Blessings, 500 robbers becoming Buddhas. ✅Cave 328: A representative cave from the early Tang dynasty. Highlights: early Tang secular painted sculptures. ✅Cave 331: A masterpiece from the early Tang dynasty. Highlights: Buddhist murals and flying apsaras. ⚠️Just before leaving, another group passed by, so I listened in on a few more caves: ✅Cave 237: A representative cave from the mid-Tang dynasty. Highlights: murals of a reverse-playing pipa. ✅Cave 244: A representative cave from the late Sui and early Tang dynasties. Highlights: the most realistic statue of Amitabha. ✅Caves 323, 324, and 325: Early Tang caves. Caves 324 and 325 are carved inside Cave 323. Highlights: murals of Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions. ✅Cave 428: A Northern Zhou cave. The largest central pillar cave in the Mogao Caves. Highlights: murals of the story of the prince feeding a tiger.