Kizil Grottoes – The Thousand-Buddha Caves
Kizil (also spelled as Qizil) Caves in Baicheng County, Xinjiang, China
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline)
Introduction
Kucha, or Kuchar, was one of the earliest and most prominent centres in the Tarim Basin along the northern branch of the ancient Silk Road. The ancient Silk Road was an important trade route where commerce was carried out and cultural exchange took place. It was a strategic location, as it was here that the transport of goods, cultures, and ideas took place between the east and the west. Peoples from different ethnicities mixed along the Silk Road, and there was cultural exchange between peoples from India, Greece, Rome, Persia, Arabia and Central China. This exchange brought a whole host of multicultural activities to the area including religion, art, and language. According to a 4th century Chinese chronicle, the area flourished with notable Buddhist communities during that period, though Buddhism could have arrived in the area as early as the 1st century CE. The area is most notable for producing one of the most famous and eminent Buddhist translators of that era, Kumarajiva (344 – 413 CE), and also the exquisite murals seen in the Kizil Grottoes.
The Kizil Grottoes are located 60 kilometres (37.2 miles) east of Baicheng County, and gracefully sits on a cliff at the top of Mingwutage Mountain, itself located on the banks of the Muzat River, 7 kilometres (4.34 miles) to the southeast of Kizil town. The grottoes are also known as the Kizil Thousand-Buddha Caves. Among the six important grottoes in China, the Kizil Grottoes are the oldest. The other important grottoes in China include the Mogao Grottoes, the Lunging Grottoes, the Maijishan Grottoes, the Dazu Rock Carvings, and the Longmen Grottoes. Construction of the Kizil Grottoes, and their murals, began from around the 1st – 2nd centuries and lasted to the 9th century. It is also one of the largest number of caves preserved in Xinjang today.
Map of the important grottoes in China
As stated by Duan Wen Jie, a leading expert on the Mogao Grottoes and a former president of the Gansu Province Dunhuang Research Institute, “The Kizil caves were the predecessors of the now better-known Mogao Grottoes.” The Buddhist art in the grottoes, drawn by artisans inspired by Indian, Afghan, and Persian styles and motifs, became a melting pot of ancient Indian, Greek, Roman, Persian, Arabic, and Central Chinese legends, myths, and art.
As such, Kucha was an important area for the transmission of Buddhism. This was made even more prominent with the translation of the Buddhist scriptures, such as by the great translator Kumarajiva. Given the importance of this era, and its location, it suggests that the artworks of Kizil and possibly the artists themselves, influenced early artworks at the Mogao Grottoes situated further east along the Silk Road, near Dunhuang.
During the Tang Dynasty, a famous Buddhist monk-scholar and translator, as well as the founder of the Yogacara School in China, Xuan Zang (602–664 CE), is believed to have visited one of the most important monastic cave complexes at Kizil. Xuan Zang said of the caves in the 630s:
The soil is suitable for rice and grain… it produces grapes, pomegranates and numerous species of plums, pears, peaches, and almonds… The ground is rich in minerals – gold, copper, iron, and lead and tin. The air is soft, and the manners of the people honest. The style of writing is Indian, with some differences. They excel other countries in their skill in playing on the lute and pipe. They clothe themselves with ornamental garments of silk and embroidery… There are about one hundred convents in this country, with five thousand and more disciples. These belong to the Little Vehicle [Theravada] of the school of the Sarvastivadas. Their doctrine and their rules of discipline are like those of India, and those who read them use the same originals…. About 40 li to the north of this desert city there are two convents close together on the slope of a mountain… Outside the western gate of the chief city, on the right and left side of the road, there are erect figures of Buddha, about 90 feet high.
Source: https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/exhibit/religion/buddhism/tarim/kizil.html
Kizil Grottoes
The Kizil Grottoes were included in the World Heritage List on June 22, 2014. They stretch over three kilometres (1.86 miles) and include 236 grottoes, divided among a western area, an inner valley, and rear mountain areas. Apart from the badly damaged statues, the architecture of the grottoes and the murals are well preserved. Murals found in 81 caves covering more than 10,000 square metres (107,639 square feet), are known as “the most beautiful murals in Central Asia.”
Architectural Features
The diamond-type lattice or grid is the most impressive part of the Kizil Grottoes. Each grid includes a story about the Buddha’s reincarnations portrayed in a single mural instead of a series of murals like those in the Mogao Grottoes. The murals feature the main character in the centre, surrounded by supporting characters and items.
The main feature of the Kizil Grottoes is the Central Grotto, which has both a main hall and a back hall. The front wall of the main hall was known to have enshrined a Buddha statue, with murals depicting stories surrounding the Buddha on the vault’s ceiling and side walls, as stated in historical sources. The hall itself was designed in a manner to facilitate circumambulation by Buddhist pilgrims in the following manner:
- As the pilgrims entered the main hall, they were greeted by stories of the Buddha’s previous lives on the walls.
- Following this, pilgrims would pay their respects to Buddha Shakyamuni, placed in an alcove within the central pillar.
- Pilgrims would then circumambulate in a clockwise direction, walking through a corridor with Buddha’s statues inside.
- Scenes of the Buddha’s enlightenment were depicted along the back walls of the corridor that would have been seen by the pilgrims.
- While exiting the corridor, pilgrims would have seen a Maitreya Buddha painted above the entrance of the main hall.
- Pilgrims would then adjourn to the back of the hall in a clockwise fashion, and appreciate the image of Buddha’s enlightenment.
Click on the image to enlarge
The Main Hall
The Kizil Grottoes featured paintings depicted on the main hall’s vaulted ceilings divided into diamond blocks, on themes such as the Jataka Tales (stories of Buddha Shakyamuni’s previous lives), and other scenes expounding the Dharma.
The Central Pillars
Click on the image to enlarge
The central pillars along the front wall typically included large alcoves, which would have housed three-dimensional seated figures. Mountain scenery made of built-up stucco material would have surrounded each of those figures, which are unfortunately no longer extant. However, remnants of a few standing figures can still be seen along the front wall. What these figures actually looked like, however, is now a mystery. To the back, the left, and the right of the central pillars are corridors with low ceilings where you can find images of monks, stupas and dharma sponsors.
The Corridors
Click on the image to enlarge
Behind the central pillars, on the back walls of the corridors, are images of the Buddha’s enlightenment, either painted or made from stucco. The head of Mahakasyapa can clearly be seen in a depiction painted on one of the walls. It depicts the scene of Mahakasyapa’s late arrival at the site of the Buddha’s parinirvana. It is particularly striking due to its expressiveness and leaf patterns. Lastly, on the semi-circle above the entrance to the main hall, the Bodhisattva Maitreya is depicted preaching in Tushita Heaven.
The Formation of Kizil Grottoes
Murals throughout the grottoes were painted from the 2nd century all the way through to the 9th century. What is interesting is that the themes of the murals do not show evidence of Mahayana Buddhist teachings that became so popular in China and the surrounding regions. Out of the 236 grottoes, only six of them are well preserved, namely grotto number 47, 48, 77, 92, 117, and 118. Among the six, grotto number 47 used to house the largest statue in the area, which was a standing Buddha statue. Therefore this grotto is also known as the Great Statue Grotto, and was built according to the same style as the Great Buddha Grottoes in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, which had a giant Buddha statue outside its front chamber. The murals in grotto number 47 can still be identified as Buddhist stories belonging to the Theravada school of Buddhism, and are painted roughly using bright colours.
Grotto numbers 13, 32, 38, 76, 83, 84, 114, 171, and 172 are representative of the developing stage of the grottoes and the area, between the middle of the 4th century and the end of the 5th century. Grottoes from this period, such as the Central Grotto, are constructed with temple-like structures, equipped with bedrooms for monks, teaching rooms, and prayer rooms. Diamond-style lattice paintings with realistic shading depict stories of the Buddha’s life all the way to his parinirvana, according to Buddhist doctrine.
In addition to murals related to Buddhism, various depictions among the grottos in the western region include daily life during the era. These include scenes of farming, hunting, pasturing, and horse riding. Other murals seen in the Kizil Grottoes include natural scenery, animals, birds and ancient architecture. In grotto number 38, also known as the Music Cave, murals depict advanced artist achievements, especially murals on both of sides of a wall illustrating a Kushine band consisting of 20 musicians playing their respective instruments. What is stunning is that the positions and gestures of the musicians are all placed at the same distance, if you observe the mural closely.
Between the 6th and 7th centuries, 50% of the total grottoes at Kizil were constructed, which makes it the most prosperous period. Most grottoes during this time were built to include statues that were painted with gold dust or adorned with gold foil, and include thousands of murals showing the Buddha teaching the dharma. The murals in grotto number 8 depict the story of a monkey offering honey to the Buddha and his disciples on two occasions, following the Buddha’s request. The monkey was so happy after making the offerings that it slipped into the water and drowned to death. The monkey was subsequently reborn as a rich man, due to the merits from making offerings to the Buddha and his disciples.
The 8th and 9th centuries mark the final period that the Kizil Grottoes were in full use. Murals from this period still exist in grotto number 129, 135, 180, 197, 227, and 229. Visitors who wrote on the walls indicate that a few monks stayed in the grottoes during the period. In grotto number 93, is a broken stele dating back to the 8th century, and the story of a battle, both proof that Kizil was a battle field during the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 CE).
Artistic style
As analysed by researchers and scholars, the highlight of the Kizil Grottoes are the murals that depict the Buddha’s life stories drawn directly onto the wall. This form of painting is unique, as other styles require the wall to be painted white first, before other colours can be applied. This form is called wet or concavo convex painting, and utilises earth and other transparent paints. Wet painting is a combination of direct and shading painting skills. According to historians, this style of painting was first created by the people of Kucha. The murals painted were done in a simpler and more natural way than previous murals. In addition to this, the details of the paintings were magnificent, with the just a small number of paintings on a tiny part of a wall being able to portray a few stories related to the Buddha’s previous incarnations. This is in stark contrast to the murals in the Mogao Grottoes, in which a series of murals present only a single story about the Buddha.
Within the Kizil Grottoes, paintings can generally be divided into two styles. The first is distinguished by reddish pigments used with carefully drawn lines. In this style, a gradation of shading gives a unique and three-dimensional appearance to the paintings. With regards to the second style, its defining feature is the use of blue pigments, which includes the use of lapis lazuli. Again, the unique three-dimensional appearance of was, on the whole, created by using different shades of pigment.
Most of the murals in the Kizil Grottoes have characteristics belonging to the second style, and that impressed archaeologists who visited the site, as lapis lazuli is considered a highly precious mineral. The use of the blue pigment in the middle-period murals is an indication of a clear Persian influence. It is believed that the ultramarine colour paint that was used, derives from stones that can only be mined in Afghanistan. The term “lapis lazuli” itself is formed with the Latin word “lapis” (meaning “stone”), and the Arabic word “lazuli” (meaning “sky” or “blue).
Videos featuring murals at Kizil Grottoes:
Cave Art Ancient Uyghurs Part One
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Cave_Art_Ancient_Uyghurs01.mp4
Cave Art Ancient Uyghurs Part Two
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Cave_Art_Ancient_Uyghurs02.mp4
Cave Art Ancient Uyghurs Part Three
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Cave_Art_Ancient_Uyghurs03.mp4
Cave Art Ancient Uyghurs Part Four
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Cave_Art_Ancient_Uyghurs04.mp4
Conclusion
On a concluding note, as we have seen in the murals at the Kizil Grottoes, there are influences present from many cultures. However, a Chinese influence is not seen in most of the murals. Out of 236 grottoes, only two have Chinese elements, indicating they were produced and influenced by the Tang Dynasty in the 8th century. In contrast to this, there were Gandharan and Iranian elements present in various murals during an earlier period. Given that there were many Western travellers who passed through Xinjiang, along the Silk Road, on their journey to China, the appearance of Western artistic elements can also be found on various murals as well.
Generally speaking, the grottoes at Kizil may be divided into two major structures: first are the simple monastic cells, and second are the various prayer halls which were often exquisitely adorned by murals and statues. Although most statues may no longer exist in Kizil, most of the murals have been preserved.
It is unfortunate that over the centuries many of the grottoes fell into ruin, with the arrival of Persian Muslims, who viewed the grottoes as heretical, and also the Cultural Revolution, during which any form of religion was outlawed. In addition to this, during the early 20th century German archaeologists conveniently removed large chunks of the murals during their visits, to be taken back to Berlin. This has left numerous blanks in the cave walls. The situation was compounded when the grottoes succumbed to natural destruction brought on by wind, drought, rain, and insects, as well as the degradation of all things that comes with time. Despite this, much effort has been put into restoration works, with the hopes that the Kizil Grottoes will one day be seen in all its former glory.
Sources:
- http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-asia/kizil-caves-earliest-buddhist-caves-china-silk-route-020231
- https://www.lonelyplanet.com/china/kuqa/attractions/kizil-thousand-buddha-caves/a/poi-sig/1240826/356133
- http://amazingxinjiang.com/Attraction/history/Kizil-Thousand-Buddha-Caves.html
- https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/exhibit/religion/buddhism/tarim/kizil.html
- http://dsr.nii.ac.jp/rarebook/04/index.html.en#Fig_1
- https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/xinjiang/korla/kizil.htm
For more interesting links:
- Caves of the Thousand Buddhas: The Mogao Caves
- Yungang Grottoes
- Tianshan Mountain Landscape
- Vajravarahi Caves in China
- Massive 2,600 year old Buddhist Monastery
- Puja at Naropa’s Cave, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Kumarajiva – the Great Translator from Kucha
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Interesting and beautiful Kizil Grottoes. Lovely architectural features and murals. And those amazing videos too! Thank you very much Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline for this interesting write up. One of my favorite topics! ???
Thanks for writing this article that shows us the amazing artwork created using the special technique and paint materials available during the Silk Road time. I hope that people who visit Kuqa do stop by Kizil grottoes to see the murals and Buddhist art.
This is indeed very interesting to know as I find the artwork quite unusual and very different from those found in India or China. I particularly find the fresco paintings of a multi-ethnic audience around the Buddha quite fascinating.
This probably reflect the multi-ethnic practitioners that was prevalent at that time. I would imagine it to be time of great peace, prosperity and a profusion of great masters, practitioners and mahasiddhas as well. Unfortunately, our merits could not sustain it for long. Hence, many lands and kingdoms of that time were conquered and converted to other religions and Buddhism was lost to these nations. Buddhism never recovered in these lands since that time.
Breathtaking art, thank you Pastor Adelin. Really enjoyed this tremendously.
All these are no easy feats, takes a while to produce works of art especially when you need to paint a mural on the walls of caves. Fantastic work. May Buddhism once again pervade the land.
Usually grottoes started as simple cave dwellings for monks, but gradually grew in size as the grotto builders continued to develop the cave complexes, sculpt statues and paint murals. Eventually they became veritable treasure houses of art. The statues and murals are also historically significant because they reflect the artistic styles of different periods in Buddhist history. What is interesting is that, often, the paintings also portray the ethnic groups found in the area. There are paintings of the local people as well as visitors from other countries, events in their lives, their customs and way of dressing, etc. I enjoyed reading this article very much and learned a lot from the pictures and videos. Thank you.
Thank you Pastor Adeline for this very interesting write up as well as for the videos of the murals in the Kizil Grottoes. It is amazing that the architecture of these grottoes and the murals paintwork have been preserved to this day, despite the wear and tear of time, the elements, insects’ attacks, man’s callous plunder and efforts at destruction of these great treasures. The murals are beautiful, and collectively they depict a glorious ancient Buddhist civilisation that thrived in this region around the 1st/2nd to the 9th centuries. This was the period when the grottos were built and the murals done .
The Buddhist art in these grottoes seemed to be inspired by Indian, Afghan, and Persian styles and motif. These murals were painted in magnificent detail; and a small number of paintings on a tiny part of a wall were able to portray a few stories related to the Buddha’s previous incarnations.
The murals are found in 81 caves and cover an area of of over 10,000 square meters! Imagine feasting one’s eyes on these “the most beautiful murals in Central Asia”!
Such a long history back to the 2nd till 9th century. If China had protected it much better earlier in the 19th or 20th century, I believe the grottoes may be restored to near former glory.
I do hope great artisans can be hired to study and re-paint or restore the murals, thus preserving or even enhancing the culture and religion in the region and China.
From the photos and videos, the ancient artworks are really amazing.
It is so hard to imagine during the ancient Silk Road period, how thriving that city and area must have been. Bustling with all sorts of trades and activities, importantly, the harmony and peace during those times. It would have taken tremendous efforts to do all 237 grottoes and to include some form of western or middle eastern influence in the arts. Really goes to show how much everybody respects everybody’s believes and culture.
Definitely a must visit place for me.
Thank you.
This is like a walk through history. Through the various era and styles of painting and teachings, mute evidence of the ebb and flow of Buddhism from Theravada to Mahayana. These grottoes are the temples of ancient times in a dry and inhospitable region, bearing testimony to the human spirit and strength and determination; or is it the full faith in their believes and the teachings of the Buddha?
Thank you, Rinpoche for this space for such beautiful articles, and thank you to pastor Adeline for the patience and tenacity to write this article.
Amazing and beautiful caves. The Kizil caves are over 1500 years old, one of the four famous Buddhist grottoes in China and were a part of thriving commercial hub on the ancient Silk Road.Most amazing was that the caves were dug inside the cliff by hand.These caves are intact with beautiful ancients murals Buddism centuries ago.The Kizil caves have a fascinating and beautiful history and was listed as part of a World Heritage Site in June 2014.
Wow ….amazing Videos featuring murals at Kizil Grottoes…..which i do enjoyed watching. So fortunate able to watch it…..
Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor Adeline for sharing a well research article on these beautiful Kizil caves.
Thank you, Pastor Adeline, for the informative write up on Kizil Grottoes. I have always been interested to visit Mogao Grottoes one day because of the ancient murals depicting Buddha’s story. Little did I know of the Kizil Grottoes, which is more ancient and contain murals of richer contents. At the Kizil Grottoes, each diamond-type grid depicts a single story about the Buddha’s reincarnations. It is different from Mogao Grottoes where a single story of Buddha is depicted in a series of murals. The style of the paintings of the murals at Kizil Grottoes is unique as it used the most precious material, known as the Lapis Lazuli. I hope one day, the yester-years’ beauty of Kizil Grottoes can present itself again.