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莫高窟位于敦煌市东南25公里处，大泉沟河床西岸，鸣沙山东麓的断崖上。洞窟始凿于前秦建元年（公元366年），现存491个洞窟，有2,400多尊雕塑，45,000 平方米壁画。 是世界上现存规模最庞大的“世界艺术宝库”。一九八七年十二月被联合国教科文组织列为世界文化遗产。莫高窟艺术的特点表现在建筑、塑像和壁画三者的有机结合上。窟形建制分为禅窟、殿堂窟、穹隆顶窟、影窟等多种形制；彩塑分圆塑、浮塑、影塑、善业塑等；壁画类别分尊像画、经变画、故事画、佛教史迹画、建筑画、山水画、供养画、动物画、装饰画等不同内容，系统反映了十六国、北魏、西魏、北周、隋、唐、五代、宋、西夏、元等十多个朝代，东西方文化交流的各个方面，成为人类稀有的文化宝藏和财富。
自从1900年莫高窟藏经洞中发现了五万多卷宗教文书和世俗文书后，敦煌艺术震惊了世界，“敦煌学”已成为世界性的显学。由日本捐资，在莫高窟对面的三危山下，由敦煌研究院承建了敦煌艺术陈列中心，仿制了部分原大洞窟，使游客在莫高窟的观赏内容更加丰富多彩。 |
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| The Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes |
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Located on cliffs 25 km southeast of Dunhuang.The first cave of the Mogao Grottoes was carved out in the year 366 and so far it has a history of more than 1600 years.
Artworks of this treasure house cover architectural designs, sculptures and murals, and what has been preserved are 491 caves with 2,415 colored statues and 45,000 sq. m of murals.
It is the greatest and most consummate gallery of Buddhist art in the world .
The colored statues are divided into four categories, namely Buddha including Sakyamuni, Maitreya, Bhaisajyaguru (Medicine Buddha) and Amitabha; bodhisattva including Avalokitesvara, Manjusri, Samantabhadra and Bodhisattva the Great Power-coming; disciples of the Buddha including Ananda and Kasyapa; and heavenly warriors and earth dieties. All the statues reflect vividly the characteristics of different periods.
The murals of mogao Grottoes, with Buddhist stories,figures in Buddhist scriptures,storids of natural lives, buddhist statues , apsaras,and decorative patterns and designs as the chief subject matter, reveal the great and profund Buddhist philosophical thinking. They also reflect the life and various societal aspects of China for a period of over 1,600 years. |
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