Private tour to Xiqian Buddha Caves and Yulin Grotto from Dunhuang

Dunhuang is located in western Gansu, an oasis in the vast Gobi Desert. Previously one of the important and strategic cities on the famous Silk Road, it contains over 2,000 years of history. Dunhuang is one of the frontier towns established around 104 BC, serving as a fortification to protect against invading tribes. Centuries later, Dunhuang was the main communication post between ancient China and the rest of the world. Christian and Jewish artifacts have been found in the area, showing the variety of travelers who made the journey along the Silk Road. Its style has fascinated travelers for ages. The Thousand Buddha Grottoes (or Mogao Caves) to the southeast of the city are a precious treasure trove of Buddhist art. There are exquisite wall paintings and statuary. Head northwest from Mogao Caves to the Great Wall at Yumen Pass and the Great Wall at Yang Pass to see the remnants of the Han Dynasty Great Wall, which were left behind in these famous mountain passes. Dunhuang's natural landscape is extremely worth seeing and enjoying. The wondrously multicolored Danxia Landform is a favorite place among photography lovers.

The Western Thousand Buddha Caves is a Buddhist cave temple site in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, China. The site is located approximately 35 km southwest of the urban centre and about the same distance from the Yangguan Pass; the area served as a staging post for travellers on the Silk Road. It is the western counterpart of the Mogao Caves, also known as the "Caves of the Thousand Buddhas" after the founding monk Yuezun's vision in 366 of "golden radiance in the form of a thousand Buddhas". The caves were excavated from the cliff that runs along the north bank of the Dang River. A number have been lost to floods and collapse; some forty are still extant. Twenty-two decorated caves house 34 polychrome statues and 800 m2 of wall paintings, dating from the Northern Wei to the late-Yuan and early-Ming Dynasties (sixth to fourteenth centuries). The site was included within the 1961 designation of the Mogao Caves as a Major National Historical and Cultural Site.

Yulin Grottoes are a part of Dunhuang Grottoes, carved before the Sui and Tang dynasties. The existing caves are from the Tang, Xixia, and Yuan dynasties. Yulin Grottoes share a lot with its sister Mogao Grottoes in content, artistic style, and painting form. Its value is mainly manifested in the exquisite murals, including Buddhas and Bodhisattva portraits, scenes of Buddhist stories, and a wide variety of flowers and beasts. Most of the murals are works made from a time stretching from the Tang Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty. Some images are unique in these grottoes, such as the portrait of the military officers in the Xixia period, the Buddhist monk of Tang Dynasty going on a pilgrimage for scriptures, and so on.