Wanderlust Wednesday: Caves of the Thousand Buddhas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R29A0GyLYlEMogao Caves, Gobi Desert, China

Travel time from downtown Dunhuang, China by bus: about 40 minutes. Ideal trip length: As long as they let you stay. UNESCO Heritage Site since 1987. Tips: No cameras allowed. Take a flashlight and wear walking shoes/clothing. Be ready for sun and crowds if you are going in the summer.

A monk once had a vision of 1,000 buddhas bathed in gold. So he started digging...

Detail of embroidered panel from Mogao cave 17. Tang Dynasty.

Dunhuang Mogao Cave 285, a flying apsarasa, Western Wei Dynasty

Read this National Geographic article about the Mogao Caves: Caves of Faint--In a Silk Road oasis, thousands of Buddhas enthrall scholars and tourists alike to learn more.

And yes, there is an app...check it out here

INSPIRATION, TRAVEL, STUDIO NOTESart, caves, China, Dunhuang, Mogao Caves, wander, wanderlust