Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

A Visual Analysis of the Map of Mount Wutai in Mogao Cave 61 and Its Significance

Xinyi LiGuangzhou Foreign Language School*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

The map of Mount Wutai on the west wall of cave 61 in Mogao Grottoes is the largest extant landscape mural in the holy land of Buddhism, and it is also a visual model of the blending of multiple civilizations on the Silk Road. From the perspectives of art history and iconography, this paper analyzes the appearance of figures, the secular scenes, the architecture and the composition in the map of Mount Wutai. Combined with the historical context of the Cao family's Guiyijun, it reveals that the mural not only reconstructs a sacred landscape in Dunhuang by means of image, providing a space of visual pilgrimage for believers who cannot visit Mount Wutai in person, but also carries the political narrative appeal of the Guiyijun regime of pacifying the country and eliminating disasters. The research shows that as a cultural mirror, the map of Mount Wutai reflects the cross-regional pilgrimage network and the ideal order of multi-ethnic coexistence. It is a typical case of Dunhuang as a crossroads of multiple civilizations on the Silk Road.

Keywords: Dunhuang; Mogao Grottoes; Mogao Cave 61; the Map of Mount Wutai
Published: September 1, 2026
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2026.HT36381
Volume: CHR Vol.115
pp. 27-32
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