Mogao Grottoes exhibition to be held in US

An exhibition on the Buddhist art at the world-renowned Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in northwest China's Gansu province will be staged in the United States, according to Dunhuang Academy.

The show will open on May 7 and end on September 4 at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. It has been jointly organized by Getty Conservation Institute, Getty Research Institute, Dunhuang Academy and Dunhuang Foundation.

More than 40 pieces of relics found at the No. 17 cave in 1900 -- books, manuscripts, silk paintings and embroideries -- will go on display, said Wang Xudong, president of the academy.

A printed Diamond Sutra work, dating from the 9th century and the earliest known printed book in the world, will be among the items on display.

The exhibits reflect the diversity of thinking, belief and art style more than 1,000 years ago on the ancient Silk Road, according to Wang.

In addition to the relics, full-size replicas of three caves, decorated with frescos and sculptures, will also be installed in the hall.

Visitors will be allowed to view stereoscopic images of No. 45 cave with 3D goggles.

The Mogao Grottoes are home to a huge collection of Buddhist artworks -- more than 2,000 colored sculptures and 45,000 square meters of frescoes -- in 735 caves carved along a cliff by ancient worshippers. It was China's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1987.