A DESERT ODYSSEY TO THE PEARL OF THE SILK ROAD

desert town, and to see these caves for myself.

At its zenith in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the fame of the Mogao cave temples ran from the Chinese heartland to the far western kingdoms of Central Asia. As camel caravans arrived along the Daquan River that runs before the temples, silk banners fluttered, gongs chimed, offerings were made, and monks from the local monasteries ushered travelers into the caves.

As I explored the temples, I was stunned by the vividness and life of the paintings and sculptures. It was almost as though they were painted or sculpted the day before. I had discovered the reason why people travel.

Dunhuang itself was founded around 111 B.C. as a military outpost to protect China’s northwestern frontier against raids from the Xiongnu, nomads from the Central Asian steppe. At the beginning of the first millennium, Buddhism spread north out of India along these trade routes to the Silk Road oases, passing through Dunhuang on its way further into China. Later on Buddhism fused with Taoism creating the Zen Buddhism that took root in Japan. In many ways, the caves are testament to the evolution and changing nature of Buddhism in China.

There are about 492 cave temples at Mogao, ranging in origin from the fifth to the 13th century. During the thousand years of artistic activity, the style of the wall paintings and sculptures changed. The early caves show greater Indian and Western influences, while during the Tang Dynasty the influences of Chinese painting styles of the imperial court became predominant.

Today, the Mogao Caves stand out from the desert like a glittering pearl on the Silk Road.