The caves, also known as the Mogao Grottoes, are located near the historic junction of the northern and southern Silk Roads. For centuries Buddhist monks at Dunhuang collected scriptures from the west, and many pilgrims passed through the area, painting murals inside the caves. Today, the site is an important tourist attraction and the subject of an ongoing archaeological project.
The Mogao Caves became one of the World Heritage Sites in 1987.