敦煌莫高窟
敦煌莫高窟，俗称千佛洞，位于甘肃省敦煌市区东南25千米的鸣沙山东麓断崖上。莫高窟现存洞窟735个、壁画4.5万多平方米、彩塑2000余身，是由石窟建筑、壁画和彩塑三者结合的立体艺术。它是敦煌石窟群中规模最大、延续时间最长、保存最完好的一处石窟，被誉为“全世界最大的画廊”“东方卢浮宫”。整个窟区分南北两区，其中南区为礼佛区，有壁画和彩塑的洞窟集中于此，北区多数洞窟都无壁画和彩塑，主要是僧人禅修、生活和瘗埋死者的所在。
据记载，莫高窟第一个洞窟由僧人乐僔于前秦建元二年（366）开凿。其后经北凉、北魏、西魏、北周、隋、唐、五代、北宋、沙州回鹘、西夏、元代共11个时代的相继营建形成今天的规模。莫高窟现存洞窟不仅在艺术上完整地保存了5—14世纪的中国中古美术史，而且作为丝绸之路的重要见证者，以图像方式形象地记录了东西方交流与古人的生活。它既是中华优秀传统文化的杰出作品，也是人类文明的智慧结晶。
The Mogao Caves at Dunhuang
The Mogao Caves, commonly known as the Thousand-Buddha Caves, is located on the eastern slope of the Sounding Sand Hill, approximately 25 kilometers southeast of Dunhuang City. The complex consists of 735 existing caves, with over 45,000 square meters of murals and more than 2,000 painted sculptures, creating a multidimensional artistic space that combines cave architecture, murals, and sculptures. As the largest, longest-lasting, and best- preserved site within the Dunhuang Caves Complex, the Mogao Caves has been celebrated as "the largest art gallery in the world" and the "Louvre on the Orient". The entire cave system is divided into two main areas: The southern zone, where caves are adorned with murals and sculptures concentrated, serves as a worship area, while the northern zone caves mostly lack wall paintings or sculptures, and are primarily used by monks for meditation, daily living, and burial of the deceased.
Historical records indicate that the first cave of the Mogao Caves was excavated by Monk Yue Zun in 366 during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Subsequently, the caves were developed over a span of 11 different periods, including the Northern Liang, Northern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Northern Song, Shazhou Uighur, Western Xia, and Yuan dynasties, shaping the complex into its present scale. The existing Mogao caves not only provide a complete artistic record of Chinese medieval art from the 5th to the 14th centuries but also serve as a significant witness to the Silk Road, vividly capturing the exchanges between China and various countries along the route, as well as aspects of ancient life. It survives not only as an outstanding legacy of China's rich traditional culture but also a testament to the wisdom of human civilization.
