Mogao Caves
Registered in: 1987
World Heritage Type: Cultural Heritage
Registration criteria:
•It is a masterpiece that represents the creative genius of humanity.
• It represents a significant exchange of human values in the development of architecture, technology, monuments, town planning and landscape architecture over a given period or in a given cultural area of the world.
- They bear unique or rare testimony to a cultural tradition or a civilisation, still living or now extinct.
- It is an outstanding example of an architectural style or of an architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates an important stage in human history.
It must be an outstanding example of traditional human settlements, land or sea use, or human interaction with the environment that characterises a culture (or cultures), especially when its survival is threatened by irresistible historical forces.
- It has a direct or tangible association with an event, living tradition, idea, belief or artistic or literary work of outstanding universal value (although this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with the other criteria).
Access: Approximately 16.6 km from Dunhuang Airport, approximately 21 minutes by car
Great Wall
Registered in: 1987
World Heritage Type: Cultural Heritage
Registration criteria:
•It is a masterpiece that represents the creative genius of humanity.
• It represents a significant exchange of human values in the development of architecture, technology, monuments, town planning and landscape architecture over a given period or in a given cultural area of the world.
- They bear unique or rare testimony to a cultural tradition or a civilisation, still living or now extinct.
- It is an outstanding example of an architectural style or of an architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates an important stage in human history.
- It has a direct or tangible association with an event, living tradition, idea, belief or artistic or literary work of outstanding universal value (although this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with the other criteria).
Access: Jiayuguan is about 19.8 km from Jiayuguan Airport, about 37 minutes by car.
The Mogao Caves: A Shining Beauty on the Silk Road
Located in Gansu Province in western China, Dunhuang has flourished as an oasis city on the Silk Road since ancient times. About 25 km southeast of Dunhuang, at the eastern foot of Mingsha Mountain, are the Mogao Caves, one of the three great caves in China along with the Yungang Caves and the Longmen Caves. Registered as a World Heritage Site (cultural heritage) in 1987, Mogao Caves is one of the few places in the world that meets all six criteria for cultural heritage registration. It is truly a cultural heritage that can be said to be the highlight of a trip along the Silk Road.
Mogao Caves was opened by the Buddhist monk Lexun in the 4th century, and construction continued for about 1000 years. This place has been carefully protected as a sacred place for Buddhist art since ancient times, and countless rock caves have been carved into cliffs. Currently, 492 large and small rock caves remain, and many colorful clay statues and murals are placed inside. The murals painted in the rock caves are about 25 km long, and they are so large that they are called the "World Gallery". The numerous clay statues placed in the rock caves are also very diverse depending on the era they were made, ranging from those influenced by Indian Buddhism, to those reminiscent of West Asian culture, to those with a strong Chinese influence. It is this depth that shows that Mogao Caves is a sacred place for Buddhist art that flourished on the Silk Road, where Eastern and Western cultures intersected.
The highlights include the murals and Buddhist statues enshrined in the large and small caves, as well as the nine-story tower that is the symbol of the Mogao Caves. You can also enjoy caravan tours to the desert oasis of Moonlit Spring at the nearby Mingsha Mountain. Use Dunhuang as a base to explore world heritage sites and the desert... Enjoy your trip along the Silk Road.
Jiayuguan, a strategic point located at the western end of the Great Wall
China is dotted with 50 World Heritage Sites, but the most famous is probably the Great Wall, which was registered as a cultural heritage site in 1987. Built by Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, who unified China in 221 BC, as a defensive facility to counter invasions from the north, the Great Wall was repeatedly restored and expanded until the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and is renowned as the "largest structure in human history." According to an announcement by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China in 2012, the total length is an astounding 21,196.18 km! The sheer scale of it all will leave you speechless.
The Great Wall, which spans several regions from Hebei Province in the east to Gansu Province in the west, is dotted with many sights. Badaling, which can be visited on a day trip from Beijing, is famous, but Jiayuguan in Gansu Province is a must-see destination if you are traveling the Silk Road. This place is thought to be the western end of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty, and is a defensive facility that has long been known as the "toughest checkpoint in the world." Jiayuguan, which was built over a period of 168 years from 1372, still retains the sturdy structures of the time, such as the over 10m high wall made of compacted loess and the heavy gates.
Jiayuguan, surrounded by the Gobi Desert to the west and the Jiuquan Basin to the east, has been a key location on the Silk Road since ancient times. There are also historical sites with murals scattered around the area, so it's worth a visit.
To the little-known, spectacular "Zhangye Danxia Landform"
It is about 370 km from Mogao Caves to Jiayuguan, about 4 hours and 15 minutes by car. If you fly from Dunhuang Airport to Jiayuguan Airport, it is only a 45-minute flight, so if you are traveling the Silk Road, why not visit these two World Heritage sites with their different characteristics? If you have more time, we also recommend visiting Zhangye Danxia Landforms, which is about 3 hours and 15 minutes by car from Jiayuguan. Zhangye Danxia Landforms, located about 50 km from Zhangye, a town that has flourished as a key point on the Silk Road since ancient times, is a place with a unique topography made of red sedimentary rocks. Although it is not a World Heritage Site, the sight of the marbled mountainside dyed in the sunset is a masterpiece, and it has become increasingly popular in recent years as a place of spectacular scenery known only to those in the know. The spectacular scenery, also known as the "Grand Canyon of the Orient," is sure to vividly color your memories of your Silk Road trip!
Travel writer/Toru Yoshihara
The best part of traveling the Silk Road is not only the romantic historical World Heritage sites, but also the exotic atmosphere of the majestic desert scenery and various cultures. If you visit the area, be sure to enjoy a desert tour and Uighur cuisine. Gansu Province can get quite hot in the summer, so be sure to take precautions against sunburn and stay hydrated!
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
