Located in Dunhuang, China, the Mogao Cave are one of the world’s largest and most diverse collections of Buddhist cave art. Dating back to the 4th century AD, the site includes 735 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals, and over 2,000 polychrome sculptures, showcasing centuries of cultural exchange along the Silk Road. In 1900, the discovery of the hidden Library Cave revealed a vast collection of over 60,000 manuscripts, scriptures, and silk paintings, dating from the 4th to the 11th century. These invaluable documents, written in multiple languages, provide crucial insights into the history, religion, and cultures of China and Silk Road civilizations. In 1987, the Mogao Cave were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Aligned with SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, the Digital Dunhuang project uses advanced technologies like high-precision scanning, LiDAR, and 4K rendering to digitally preserve the Library Cave and its manuscripts, ensuring long-term conservation. Big data and AI help detect mural damage, improving restoration accuracy. Additionally, the project creates a globally accessible cultural heritage database via cloud computing, enabling sustainable resource sharing and fostering innovation in preservation and global access to cultural resources.
This image shows a mural exhibit from the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, on display at the National Art Museum of China. The original mural is part of a vast collection of Buddhist wall paintings created between the 4th and 14th centuries, located in grottoes carved into the cliffs along the ancient Silk Road. These artworks reflect the spiritual and artistic exchanges between Chinese, Central Asian, and Indian cultures. The mural shown here is a replica or display version, curated for public exhibition and educational outreach. As such, it is categorized as “Movable Cultural Heritage”, whereas the original site of the Mogao Caves constitutes “Immovable Cultural Heritage”. This distinction is crucial in heritage documentation and digital preservation. The image was uploaded as part of a cultural heritage mapping project for academic and non-commercial use.