Dunhuang Museum

The Dunhuang Museum is located in the south of Dunhuang city. It is a museum mainly displaying historical artifacts of Dunhuang, a hub on the Silk Road, as well as precious relics from the Mogao Caves. The new museum opened in 2012. While not particularly large among national museums, its focus on showcasing Silk Road and Mogao Caves culture makes it an excellent place to learn about Dunhuang's history and Mogao art. Museum enthusiasts should not miss it.

The museum's current exterior is quite distinctive, resembling the walls and beacon towers of the Han dynasty Great Wall. Stepping inside feels like entering a cave temple complex, with walls and corridors designed in the style of ancient grotto passages—a highly characteristic feature. The museum houses six exhibition halls, with its main display being the thematic exhibition "A city where Chinese and foreign cultures converge." A full tour takes approximately 1-2 hours.

The exhibition "A city at the crossroads of Chinese and foreign cultures" runs through the entire museum building. It is divided into individual units by historical periods, allowing visitors to explore them floor by floor in chronological order. The exhibition covers Dunhuang's ancient history and its inhabitants, the significant development during the Han dynasty, continued growth in the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern dynasties, prosperity in the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties period, the rule of Dunhuang by the Shazhou Uighurs and Western Xia, Dunhuang during the Yuan and Ming dynasties, Qing dynasty development of Dunhuang, the discovery of the Library Cave, the anti-tax movement in the Qing dynasty, and ancient Silk Road coins. These units are primarily arranged chronologically, guiding visitors along corridor-like passages to experience Dunhuang's millennia of historical vicissitudes from ancient times to the present.

The museum's exhibits are mainly divided into two categories. One focuses on the cave art of Mogao Grottoes, including a replica of the undeveloped Cave 45 from Mogao Grottoes, where visitors can see the legendary cave style reflecting musical themes. There are also some Dunhuang manuscripts, known as the famous "Dunhuang manuscripts," which are extremely precious. The other category features exhibitions centered on Silk Road culture, with elegant artifacts like the Northern Liang stone pagoda and pictorial bricks. Among them, the qilin brick is exceptionally rare nationwide and can be considered the museum's treasure—definitely not to be missed.