Dunhuang, China

The Mogao Caves, a shrine of Buddhist art treasures, also known as the Thousand Buddha Caves, constitute one of the three major Buddhist grotto sites in China, 25 km (15.5miles) from downtown Dunhuang on the eastern slope of Mingsha Shan (Mount Echoing Sand). A network of plank reinforced roads plying north to south 1600 meters (5, 249 feet) long lead to the cave openings, which are stacked five stories high some reaching up to 50 meters (164 feet). By the way, Mogao means high up in the desert. The construction of the Mogao Grottoes spanned more than a thousand years ranging from the Early Qin, Northern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Xixia and Yuan. In 1989, the United Nation listed Mogao Grottoes as one of the cultural relics under special protection. In 1991, the UNESCO gave a formal testimonial to the Chinese government as to list the grottoes as a " worldwide cultural heritage ". In the same year, it was also valued by the National Tourism Administration as one of the "forty best scenic spots across the country.