Mogao Grottoes cuts price in off season

Mogao Grottoes, a huge collection of Buddhist sculptures in Dunhuang city, Gansu province has reduced its ticket price to 100 yuan ($15.21) during the tourism off season from Nov 1 to April 30 of next year, the Dunhuang Research Academy recently announced.

Mogao Grottoes is a UNESCO World Heritage Site boasting more than 2,000 colored sculptures and 45,000 square meters of murals in 735 caves carved along a cliff.

The new price is half of that in the peak season (May 1-Oct 31) and tourists can visit the digital exhibition center, 12 grottoes and the site's museums.

The academy said that the scenic spot will open eight grottoes during this year's peak season and launch emergency procedures to deal with massive passenger flow in July and August.

Mogao Grottoes is expected to receive at most 6,000 visitors per day in 2016 and visitors can reserve tickets online or through the site's mobile phone app.

Experts from the academy suggest tourists visit Mogao Grottoes during the slack season, because the large number of visitors can cause irreversible damage to the frescos and the price during the off season is more favorable.

Edited by Peter Nordlinger