"Dunhuang although internationally known is infrequently visited. The Mogao shrine at Dunhuang is a cluster of 492 caves, containing 45,000 square metres of frescoes and 2,415 stucco statues. These caves were created, renovated and maintained continually with devotion and care from the 4th upto the 14th century.

In this volume we have provided an English translation of selected writings of Prof. Duan Wenjie, Director of the Dunhuang Academy who has given a chronological study of the contents inside the Mogao caves with several decades of research of the Dunhuang Academy under his command.

Prof. Tan Chung, the editor, has furnished an illuminating introduction, while Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, the driving spirit behind this volume, has made succinct comments in her ‘foreword’. A valuable information on all the Mogao caves has been added.

Colour and black and white photographs and fine sketches by Vineet Kumar supplement the text.

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts is committed to exploring all dimensions of art. It feels privileged to place before art historians and art lovers of the English-speaking world first-hand information about his unique art gallery going back to one-and-a-half millennia."