Kezil Thousand-Buddha Caves
( 2005-09-13 )

Reputed as one of the Four Great Grottoes in China together with the Mogao Grottos, the Kezil Thousand-Buddha Caves is situated at the north bank of the Muzat River and about 7 kilometers south of the Kezil Town between the Kucha and Baicheng counties in Northwest China'sXinjiangUygur Autonomous Region.

There are altogether 236 grottoes already numbered at the foot or on the cliffs of the Mingutag Mountain. Presently, more than 80 of the caves are still complete with well-preserved frescoes covering a total area of 10,000 square meters.

The work for chiseling these grottoes started in the 3rd or 4th century, during the EasternHan Dynasty(25-220), and flourished in the 6th and 7th century, with the construction lasting over 500 years. After Islam was introduced into Xinjiang, the work of grotto building went completely out of the picture in Xinjiang.

The Kezil Thousand-Buddha Caves are the earliest Buddhist grottoes chiseled out in China, and lie in China's westernmost area in terms of location.

The Baicheng area where the caves are located was the domain of ancient Quici State, which was the birthplace of the Quici grotto art. Its art achievements are reflected mostly in three aspects: the beauty of the frescos, the art of the sculptures, and the architecture of the grottoes, which altogether occupies a very important place in theBuddhist artin the Central Asian and Middle Eastern areas.

The ancient Quici artists skillfully portrayed the people and events, and love and hate in real life through the paintings both directly and indirectly. The murals, mainly about Buddhist stories, are fine arts of well-designed framework and impressive style.

In a word, the special framework of the Kezil Thousand-Buddha Caves, the theme ofmural painting, and its artistic style mirror the social pictures of the ancient Quici and provide valuable information for researches on the history,Buddhism, culture, and art of the ancient Qiuci State, and the relationship between ancient China and western countries.