The Thousand Buddha Caves or Bezeklik
Location: between the cities of Turpan and Shanshan (Loulan), Xinjiang
Transportation: Bus service
Culture/History Rating: 3/5
Scenery Rating: 2/5
Hotels: N/A
Summary:
Description:
| The Thousand Buddha Caves are found on the cliffs of the Mutougou Valley in the Flaming Mountains, 50km (31 miles) east of Turpan. Comprising 67 caves dating from the Northern and Southern dynasties (317 - 589) to the Yuan dynasty (1279 - 1368), the Thousand Buddha Caves or Bezeklik means "place where there are paintings" in the Uigur language. It used to be an important center for Buddhist worship. The Xizhou Huigu government of Gaochang Kindom built the royal temple of the King of Huigu that is sited here. The caves are well hidden and rest on a long ridge overlooking a valley where the monastery was located. Originally accessible via a winding pathway to the cliff top, and a steep stairway leading down to the monastery 30 feet below, among the 83 existing numbered grottoes, about 40 of them have rich remains of murals. |  |
 | The group of grottoes in bizaklik, with a total of 1,200 square meters of murals, has the most grottoes, most diversified architectural styles and the richest mural content in the Turpan area. The oldest grottoes were hewn in the period of Quhsi Dynasty in the thirteenth century, it was an important buddhist gathering place; its most prosperous period was under the reign of the Xizhou Huigu government, which built the royal temple of the King of Huigu on this site. Most of the existing grottoes were extended or reconstructed during the Huigu period. |
| The murals were not only artistically stunning but also anthropologically important as they depicted a range of people including Indians, Persians and Caucasians. Unfortunately, few murals of good quality remain at the caves. Many were taken by the German Von Le Coq in the early 20th century. While excavating the site he discovered the artistic masterpieces and decided to cut out the murals and transport them for sale in Europe. Others murals were defaced by Muslim locals, who feared the omnipotent powers of the Buddhist images and believed that digging out the eyes and mouths would disable their supposed powers. Even today, one can still see on the remaining buddhist murals the features of the King and Queen of Huigu and people of different status, as well as scenes of the lives of ancient Uygur people. Inscriptions in the ancient Huigu, Chinese and brahmi languages and history of Xinjiang's various nationalities, and Uygur in particular. |  |
 | The murals depicting "Buddhist disciples wailing in mourning" and "Bhikku wailing in mourning" on the back wall of the Grotto No.33 are rare artistic pieces which depict the inner feelings of the figures with vivid images and individual characteristics. The ancient instruments shown in the mural depicting "Female Dancers on Performance" in Grotto No.16 and the mural of "Transformation in the Hell" in Grotto No.17 are seldom seen in Buddhist grottoes in China.The bizaklik Thousand-buddha Caves became an important cultural unit protected by the state in 1961. |