https://j.people.com.cn/n3/2026/0825/c95952-20492135.html
The Mogao Caves, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes or Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, form a system of 500 temples 25 km (16 mi) southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu province, China. The caves may also be known as the Dunhuang Caves.
At the Mogao Caves, the experience of viewing these iconic caves with a sensation of “flight” has become a special memory for many tourists. The “Exploring Dunhuang: Digital Dunhuang Immersive Exhibition,” presented by the Dunhuang Academy, allows visitors to use virtual reality (VR) equipment to step inside a high-precision 3D reconstruction of Cave 285 and view its thousand-year-old murals up close. Visitors can freely explore the cave’s details in 360 degrees and experience unique perspectives, such as the sensation of flying near the cave ceiling.
To date, the Dunhuang Academy has completed the collection of high-precision digital data for 323 caves, 3D structural scanning for 251 caves, and the creation of panoramic virtual tours for 227 caves. The clarity of the murals displayed on screen often surpasses what can be seen during an on-site visit; details that previously required a ladder to examine closely can now be viewed at a glance.
When users open the “Dunhuang Heart-to-Heart” mini-program, AI transforms classic motifs—such as *Feitian* (flying celestial beings), the Nine-Colored Deer, and lotus flowers—into animated illustrations, breathing new life into these ancient symbols. The “Digital Library Cave” database platform enables users to “time travel” across historical eras—from the late Tang and Northern Song dynasties to the late Qing—and experience the evolution of culture over a millennium. Additionally, AI technology allows users to convert classical texts into Simplified Chinese and generate modern translations with a single click, or extract the core concepts of ancient documents using “AI summarization.”
To date, the “Digital Library Cave” database platform has made public 11,090 digital records (scrolls and artifacts) and 72,810 images related to the Library Cave’s cultural relics. It has also processed over 7.8 million characters of content and recorded more than 250,000 visits from users across 33 countries and regions.
In July 2026, the Dunhuang Academy’s Digital and Smart Laboratory was officially launched. Building upon platforms such as “Digital Dunhuang” and the “Dunhuang Studies Research Literature Database,” the laboratory leverages technologies like AI, big data, and VR to deepen research in areas including Dunhuang culture, Dunhuang studies, and the digital restoration of cultural relics currently held overseas.
Picture: July 22, 2024, A tourist takes an immersive virtual tour of Mogao Cave 285 using VR equipment. Photo by Lang Bingbing
