Dunhuang

Dunhuang (listen^ⓘ) is a county-level city in northwestern Gansu Province, Western China. According to the 2010 Chinese census, the city has a population of 186,027,^[1] though 2019 estimates put the city's population at about 191,800.^[3] Known as Sachu,^[4] it was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road and is best known for the nearby Mogao Caves.

A number of Buddhist cave sites are located in the Dunhuang area, the most important of these is the Mogao Caves, which is located 25 km (16 mi) southeast of Dunhuang. There are 735 caves in Mogao, and the caves in Mogao are particularly noted for their Buddhist art,^[23] as well as the hoard of manuscripts, the Dunhuang Manuscripts, found hidden in a sealed-up cave. Many of these caves were covered with murals and contain many Buddhist statues. Discoveries continue to be found in the caves, including excerpts from a Christian Bible dating to the Yuan dynasty.^[24]

Numerous smaller Buddhist cave sites are located in the region, including the Western Thousand Buddha Caves, the Eastern Thousands Buddha Caves, and the Five Temple site. The Yulin Caves are located further east in Guazhou County.