The Mogao Caves in Dunhuang—commonly known as the "Caves of the Thousand Buddhas"—are situated on a cliff at the eastern foot of Mingsha Mountain, 25 kilometers southeast of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province. Construction began in 366 AD (the second year of the Jianyuan era of the Former Qin dynasty) and continued across ten successive dynasties. Today, it stands as the world’s largest and most content-rich repository of Buddhist art, as well as a brilliant testament to the convergence of Eastern and Western civilizations along the ancient Silk Road. The site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987.