Rediscovering the forgotten stories hidden in the caves of mogao.

_timeline

Spring 2024 (7 weeks)

_program

Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, After Effect, Figma

_team

designer: Shannon Wei Lee

_what is MoGao

The Mogao Caves are a network of 500 ancient temples located in Dunhuang, China, along the historic Silk Road. Dating back to 366 CE, these caves house some of the finest examples of Buddhist art, manuscripts, and sculptures, reflecting over a thousand years of cultural and religious exchange. To preserve this UNESCO World Heritage site, visitor access is limited, making digital and print interpretations crucial for broader engagement.

_what i did

This project reinterprets traditional mapping by capturing both the physical and memory planes of Mogao, revealing the site's hidden stories through a collection of "Map-like Artifacts." It includes a publication designed for museum visitors and an interactive website that extends the experience to a global audience, offering layered narratives of history, culture, and preservation.

_publication

Exploring the tension between what is revealed and what remains hidden, this project utilizes publication design and digital interactivity to map the unseen dimensions of Mogao. By integrating historical records, visual storytelling, and interactive elements, it uncovers the evolving significance of these ancient caves beyond their physical form.

_interactive website

The interactive website serves as a digital extension of Mogao, designed for an international audience unfamiliar with the site. It presents an immersive experience that unearths hidden stories, historical layers, and artistic details, allowing users to explore the caves’ cultural depth even when they can’t reach the site themselves.

_process

Throughout the process, we explored the connection between physicality and digital design, seeking ways to recreate the spatial and environmental essence of Mogao in the reading experience. We experimented with iconography and color to evoke the ancient dustiness of the caves, while pushing the boundaries of bilingual typesetting through unconventional typography and layout. This approach allowed us to test the balance between historical authenticity and contemporary design experimentation.

@ 2025 by sophia hăo [郝]

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