Xinjiang Three Immortals Caves

Xinjiang Three Immortals Caves

Locally known as the Tuokuzi Wujila Grottoes. Located on the cliffs along the Qakmak River in Takuqi Village, Atushi Township, about 20 kilometers west of Atushi City, the three caves stand side by side, approximately 20 meters above the ground. Each cave entrance is over two meters high and more than one meter wide, rectangular in shape like a door frame. The interiors are divided into front and rear chambers—the front chamber is about four meters in both length and width, and around 2.5 meters high, while the rear chamber is smaller, roughly half the size of the front. The middle cave, due to renovations during the Qing Dynasty, has no preserved murals; only a stone-bodied seated Buddha remains in the center of the rear chamber, though it is now damaged. The western cave has exposed bedrock with numerous chisel marks on the walls, containing nothing else. Only the eastern cave retains precious murals and a caisson ceiling. The surrounding walls are covered with about 70 Buddha images of varying sizes, and the ceiling features a lotus-shaped caisson with clearly visible lotus seeds at the center. Around the caisson are seated Buddhas each about 50 centimeters tall. One of the seated Buddhas wears a kasaya (monk’s robe) patterned with a grid design in alternating navy blue and ochre, with bodhi leaves painted on the back—a style only seen in murals. The rear chamber contains a mural of a standing Buddha with exquisitely graceful form. The upper body of the Buddha is bare, its right hand holding an object at the waist, while the left hand hangs naturally. Its attire is unusual, with horizontal stripes of green, blue, and red on the lower half—a rare sight in Buddhist iconography and of significant research value. Preliminary studies suggest that these caves may be the earliest surviving Buddhist cave art relics in China’s far west, dating back at least 1,800 years since the introduction of Buddhism from India during the Han Dynasty. They hold great importance for the study of cave art and the eastward spread of Buddhism in China.