Mogao Caves and the Dunhuang monastic community (4th–14th century CE)

1. First Mogao cave founded at Dunhuang

   Jan 1, 366Labels: Le Zun, Mogao Cave, Dunhuang Oasis

   • UNESCO
   • Britannica

2. Early cave building under Northern Liang

   Jan 1, 400Labels: Northern Liang, early caves, Dunhuang

   • UNESCO
   • Britannica

3. Northern Wei patronage expands Mogao

   Jan 1, 439Labels: Northern Wei, Mogao expansion, Buddhism

   • UNESCO
   • Britannica

4. Sui dynasty surge in cave construction

   Jan 1, 581Labels: Sui dynasty, cave construction, Mogao

   • UNESCO
   • Britannica

5. Tang dynasty makes Mogao a major hub

   Jan 1, 618Labels: Tang dynasty, Mogao hub, Dunhuang

   • UNESCO
   • Britannica

6. Tibetan control reshapes Dunhuang’s community

   Jan 1, 781Labels: Tibetan rule, Dunhuang, cultural exchange

   • Britannica
   • UNESCO

7. Zhang Yichao retakes Dunhuang and restores local rule

   Jan 1, 848Labels: Zhang Yichao, Guiyijun, Dunhuang

   • Britannica
   • Britannica

8. Cave 17 becomes Hongbian’s memorial shrine

   Jan 1, 862Labels: Cave 17, Hongbian, memorial shrine

   • Smarthistory
   • Britannica

9. Library Cave collection grows into a multi-faith archive

   Jan 1, 900Labels: Library Cave, manuscript cache, multilingual archive

   • Britannica
   • UNESCO

10. Cave 17 is sealed in the early 11th century

    Jan 1, 1011Labels: Cave 17, manuscript preservation, early 11th

    • Britannica
    • UNESCO

11. Western Xia patrons add new caves and styles

    Jan 1, 1036Labels: Western Xia, Mogao art, patronage

    • UNESCO
    • Britannica

12. Yuan era marks the last major phase at Mogao

    Jan 1, 1368Labels: Yuan dynasty, late Mogao, artistic decline

    • UNESCO
    • Britannica