Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves

Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves

The Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves are located about 60 kilometers southeast of Baicheng County in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Kizil Grottoes, more than 100 kilometers from Kuqa, are a long and hot journey, but absolutely worth visiting. They are the earliest large-scale cave complex excavated in China, flourishing from the 3rd century AD until the 10th century AD. Unfortunately, most of the exquisite Buddha statues and murals were destroyed during the Yuan Dynasty, which is truly regrettable..

"Kizil" is a transliteration from the Uyghur language, meaning "red." The caves are carved into the cliffs between the northern bank of the Muzat River and the Mingwudage Mountain. There are currently 236 numbered caves, with about one-third of them having relatively intact structures and a significant number of surviving murals. Based on the structural features of the caves, the themes of the murals, artistic styles, and radiocarbon dating, these grottoes mainly date back to the 4th to 8th centuries and can be roughly divided into early, middle, and late periods, representing typical examples of the Kucha cave art.

The Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves can be divided into two types of caves: the chaitya caves, used for worship, meditation, and preaching by monks, and the vihara caves, used as living quarters and meditation rooms for monks. Among the chaitya caves, some are large statue caves with tall sanctuaries, open cave doors, and standing Buddha sculptures on the main wall; others are central pillar caves, with rectangular main chambers housing a pagoda column; there are also square caves. Vihara caves, also known as "monk rooms," mostly feature a two-corridor structure with simple living facilities such as stoves inside. These various types and purposes of caves were built in an orderly fashion, forming small units. Judging from their arrangement, each unit might have been a monastery.

The statues and murals of the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves were painted inside the chaitya caves. Although most of the statues have been destroyed, approximately 5,000 square meters of murals remain preserved. The mural themes mainly include the life of the Buddha, Jataka tales (previous lives of the Buddha), and avadana stories (moral tales). The life-of-the-Buddha stories fall into two categories: one describes the biography of the Buddha, mainly arranged on the four walls of square caves, using continuous grid-like panels to depict the entire life of the Buddha from beginning to end. The other category consists of preaching scenes, mainly arranged on the sidewalls of the main chamber of central pillar caves. Though often using grid-like panels, these are individual paintings with their own themes, not sequentially connected. The avadana stories mainly depict the offerings made to the Buddha by sentient beings and the Buddha’s supernatural powers. The Jataka tales illustrate the various hardships and ascetic practices of the Buddha in his previous lives as a bodhisattva. Apart from a few painted on the walls of square caves, most of these avadana and Jataka tales are arranged on the main chamber walls of central pillar caves and the vaulted ceilings of square caves, using single-frame compositions. The vaulted ceilings are divided into numerous diamond-shaped grids, each depicting one story. Due to the limited space of the diamond grids, the paintings use minimal figures and background elements, selecting the most iconic scenes to summarize the story, resulting in a very concise and vivid style. For example, the ceiling of Cave No. 17 alone features 38 different Jataka paintings.

In addition, the murals also reflect aspects of production, daily life, and folk customs of the time. For instance, the musicians’ scene in Cave No. 38 depicts performers playing the pipa, holding a konghou (a type of harp), or blowing the transverse flute, showcasing diverse and lively postures. The farming and pottery-making scenes in Cave No. 175 present the labor activities of the time and serve as valuable physical materials for studying the history and culture of Xinjiang.

The Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves hold a significant position in the art of Chinese grottoes and are of great importance for researching the history of the Kucha society, Buddhist culture, and cultural exchanges between China and the West. In March 1961, the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves were listed by the State Council as part of the first group of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites.

Kezier Township: Kezier Township is located in the eastern part of Baicheng County, with a straight-line distance of 47.3 kilometers from the county seat. It borders Heiyingshan Township to the north, neighbors Sailimu Township to the west, connects with Kuqa County to the east, and is bounded by the Queletage Mountain to the south with Xinhua County. The township stretches approximately 44.4 kilometers from north to south and 35.4 kilometers from east to west, covering a total area of 923.15 square kilometers. It administers 11 village committees, 1 pasture, and has a total population of 8,376 people, with the township government located in Wutang Village.

Kezier Township is located at the eastern end of the Baicheng Basin, situated between the Kalakel Hills and the Queletage Mountain. The terrain is higher in the north and lower in the south..