Mogao Grottos

The grottos are 735 caves constructed into the sandstone cliffs beyond Dunhuang and at the vase of the Tibetan Plateau.  They were started in 336AD. We toured the site with a professional, well-spoken guide (refreshing) and then had free time to wander on our own. Our tour included 12 caves, including one with a 150ft Buddha. Amazing.

The colors were original and the statuary unique. I especially liked the entrance guardian standing on demons. There were not a lot of dragons, but plenty of elephants, dogs, and tigers. The buddha statutes were unique in that their was a blending of the early Indian culture with the later reformed Tang, Liang and other Chinese dynasties.  As we were leaving the site a horizontal RSI is appeared over the museum. I'd never seen one before. Enjoy the photo!

We had a free afternoon to explore Dunhuang. A very pretty and beautifully maintained city with grand night markets for food hunting. I wonder what oddities we'll be asked to try tonight!

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