00:00The Mogao Grottoes are located on the cliff of the eastern foot of Mingsha Mountain in
00:08Dunhuang, an important hub on the ancient Silk Road, where different civilizations merged,
00:15creating a rich and diverse treasury of cultural heritage.
00:19The Mogao Grottoes, standing out as the most dazzling jewel at this crossroads of civilizations,
00:26are renowned globally for their magnificent murals and statues.
00:33This is an art sanctuary spanning over a thousand years along the Silk Road.
00:37Mogao Grottoes are the world's best-preserved and largest-scale Buddhist grottoes art.
00:43You can see countless tourists are coming here from China and around the world to see
00:48the charm of the thousand-year-old treasure.
00:52And we can go inside and check out what have made them so unique.
00:58To protect the precious heritage, only eight caves are open to visitors during peak seasons,
01:05with a few special caves available for an extra fee at designated times.
01:11Visitor numbers are controlled by limiting sales to 6,000 regular tickets and up to 12,000
01:18emergency tickets daily.
01:20Efforts are being made to balance visitor experience with cultural relic preservation.
01:26In 366, the first cave was carved by a monk passing through this area.
01:32Over successive expansion and preservation for generations, the site now features hundreds
01:37of grottoes with Buddhist statues and murals.
01:43The Mogao Grottoes are not merely a showcase of Buddhist art.
01:47They also incorporate elements of both Chinese and foreign cultures.
01:51From the murals and the manuscripts found in the library cave, one can see traces of
01:56exchanges between China and India, Persia, and even Greece.
02:03Cave 285 of the Mogao Grottoes, created in the 530s AD, represents the earliest dated
02:10cave at the site and features a blend of Buddhist themes, Taoist deities, Hindu Brahmatic
02:16gods, and even Greco-Roman style representations of the sun and moon deities.
02:24This convergence highlights east-west cultural exchanges.
02:28We have been granted permission to photograph the Dunhuang Academy's replica of Cave 285.
02:35The murals feature flying apsaras, as you can see up there.
02:40And also we see landscapes, pavilions, showcasing not only religious stories, but also the social
02:48scenes and lifestyles of ancient China.
02:51So this makes Mogao Grottoes an important window into the social history of ancient
02:57Silk Road.
02:59Under strict visitor management, we can witness the ancient grottoes' grandeur and explore
03:04intricate replicas.
03:06Nonetheless, these are not the only ways to get up close and personal with the Mogao Grottoes.
03:13The ancient sound of Dunhuang is an immersive performance that leverages in-depth interpretations
03:20of the murals and manuscripts discovered from the Mogao Grottoes with modern lighting techniques
03:26and dancing performances.
03:28It allows the figures and musical instruments from the murals to transcend history and appear
03:34in front of our eyes and ears.
03:37The show is about to begin.
03:39It's time to explore.
03:55I don't have a better word to describe the experience.
04:01Purely stunning.
04:08On this magic land, whether exploring tranquil grottoes or witnessing awe-inspiring performances,
04:14we appreciate a cultural treasure that belongs to all humanity.
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