Grottoes: Millennia-old Architectural Beauty

The Mogao Grottoes, also known as “Thousand Buddha Caves,” are a representative group of Buddhist caves in Dunhuang, mainly including bhāvanā (meditation) caves, central pillar caves, truncated pyramid caves, monumental statue caves, and monk’s caves. Among them, truncated pyramid caves are most abundant. They are so named because the ceiling of each cave is like a truncated pyramid. The ceiling is derived from the form of ancient Chinese tents and is a product of the influence of traditional Chinese architecture.