Mogao Northern Caves — Dunhuang Oasis North Cliff Monastic Cells
Northern Mogao · Upper Dunhuang caves
Sixteen Kingdoms to Yuan (366 – 1368 CE) northern cells 960–1300·Buddhist monastic Dunhuang oasis international·🇨🇳 Gansu Province, Dunhuang City, Mogao Grottoes north zone, Daquan River north cliff 168 m cliff secondary, China
About
About Mogao Northern Caves — Dunhuang Oasis North Cliff Monastic Cells
Northern zone of Mogao (Mogao 492 painted caves + ~250 northern monks' cells) at Dunhuang Oasis north cliff of Daquan River, 25 km southeast of Dunhuang. Northern caves are austere rectangular meditation and burial cells of Song–Yuan monastics (1000–1300 CE) contrasting the southern painted scripture halls (366–1277 CE, 45,000 m2 murals). UNESCO Silk Road oasis.
Why it mattersNorthern cells show Mogao was not only art gallery but living-monastic cemetery hill
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Northern cells burial vs living debate
- 02Library Cave sealing reason suddenly 1036?
Theories
- 01International oasis Dunhuang Tibetan-Uighur-Mongol
- 02Meditation cell vs scripture hall dual sacred geography
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Southern painted 366; northern cells 960–1277
- Period
- Sixteen Kingdoms to Yuan (366 – 1368 CE) northern cells 960–1300
- Culture
- Buddhist monastic Dunhuang oasis international
- Purpose
- Oasis scripture hall + hermit cell paired mountain
- Abandoned
- c.1368 Ming closure
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
366
Lezun first cave 366
781
Tibetan occupation murals
1900
Library Cave 17 sealed 50000 manuscripts
On the ground
Structures & features
40.0400° N · 94.8000° E · 1230 m · 3 mapped features
Northern Cave 464 – Meditation Cell
cellPlain rectangular cell 3×2 m with low platform
40.0420° N · 94.8020° ESouthern Cave 96 – Nine-Storey Tower
tower34.5 m Maitreya exterior tower sheltering colossus
40.0410° N · 94.8080° ELibrary Cave 17
repositorySealed cave 3×3 m where 50,000 manuscripts hidden
40.0415° N · 94.8075° E