Magao visitors’ center

This item appears on page 4 of the June 2015 issue.

At the Magao Grottoes in northwestern China’s Gansu Province, a $50 million “digital exhibition center” opened in September 2014.

Also known as Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, this Silk Road site in the Gobi Desert dates back 1,600 years and comprises almost 500 caves covered in Buddhist murals and holding more than 2,000 sculptures. 

Before taking a shuttle to the grottoes, visitors will visit the center to see two 20-minute films (one IMAX-like and the other on a domed screen) on the caves’ history and contents. Before the center opened, guides always introduced visitors to the caves. Competing guides and groups caused lengthy waiting times and high noise levels inside. The number of visitors now will be limited to 6,000 per day, with tours each lasting 75 minutes.  

April 1-Oct. 31, tickets cost CNY160 (near $26) or, with an English guide, CNY180.  Nov. 1-March 31, tickets cost CNY80/CNY100. Digital center entry, CNY60. Visits must be booked at least seven days in advance for individuals, 15 for groups, and can be booked online at www.mgk.org.cn (in Chinese only).