¡¡¡¡
Ancient Indian Buddhism was introduced in Xinjiang in the
1st century B.C., at first the missionaries spread the religion
by preaching from the Buddhist scriptures. Then they began
to use Indian techniques of building Buddhist grottoes.
Cave art can be found all over Xinjiang. The Grandhara art
of grotto-making was readily adopted by the ancient Xinjiang
people, who improved on the art and combined it with traditional
Chinese art and methods. People began to build Buddhist
caves in Xinjiang in the 3th century. Most of the ancient
caves are located between Baicheng and Kuqa counties in
southern Xinjiang and around Turpan in eastern Xinjiang.
Like the Ajanta grottoes in India, the Xinjiang caves were
built in remote mountainous places beside rivers. This is
partly because stories in Buddhist scriptures said that
Sakyamuni, founder of Buddhism, wanted a quiet place to
sit in mediation and undergo rigorous ascetic discipline.
Different from the Grandhara and Ajanta grottoes, the Xinjiang
caves were dug into cliffs of sedimentary rock. They come
in a variety of shapes, and usually have rectangular vaulted
ceilings. There is a central column in each cave, dividing
it into a front room and a back room. Two side corridors
link the rooms. The front room is bright and spacious while
the back room is dark, low and narrow, signifying the good
deeds of Buddha when he was alive and the sorrowful scene
after he died. Because these are conglomerate cliffs, the
ancient Xinjiang cave builders coated the walls with clay
before they made sculptures. They painted the sculptures
with colors, and some sculptures were carved of stone or
wood. Unfortunately most of them have been destroyed.
Frescoes are an important part of
ancient Xinjiang grotto art. They portray various subjects
including the birth of Buddha, the Crown Prince Gautama,
his becoming a monk, the Enlightenment, the Defeat of
Mara, Preaching the Law, Nirvana, and dividing the relics
of Buddha. The ancient Xinjiang painters conceived of
a rhombic design, in each square drawing one seperate
picture. In painting people, they combined Grandhara techniques
with Chinese art but the images of local nationalities
also appeared. The painters used the convex-concave method
and iron-wire strokes. This produces strong contrasts
of light and dark and a unique three-dimensional sensation.
This painting method was later passed on to the Central
Plains and became an important school of art there.
The Buddhist cave were a center of activity
for ancient monks and Buddhist laymen and women. There
were different kinds of caves, some specially for people
to pay their respects to Buddha, and others kept for monks
to sit in mediation and undergo rigorous ascetic discipline.
A third group of caves were built for keeping the relics
of eminent monks. A group of these different caves combined
to form a cave temple, such as the Kizil Grottoes. There
were large numbers of caves reserved for monks to sit
in mediation, a phenomenon rarely seen in other parts
of China and characteristic of early Buddhism in the country.
Many frescoes in the caves highlight the Jataka story
of Buddha, which is vividly depicted with a distinct series
events. In this they are quite different from those of
the Dunhuang Grottoes in Gansu Province.
There is usually a large niche in the front
room of each cave. In the niche is a Buddha statue or
a painting depicting Buddha preaching the law. On either
side of the niche are painted disciples listening to Buddha.
Above the niche is a picture of the deva-musician and
flying devata. Other parts of the two walls in the front
room are devoted to rhombic patterns with a painting in
each square. These paintings feature Buddha preaching
the law in various postures and related stories. On the
upper part of the walls and ceiling are paintings portraying
the Jataka story or stories of principal and subsidiary
causes. Two side corridors lead to the back room where
on the wall is carved or painted the portrait of Budddha
entering into Nirvana, with his disciples going into mourning.
Around are paintings depicting burning the coffin and
how the eight kkings divided the relics of Buddha among
them. Portraits of Lokapalas and donors are painted on
the walls of the corridors, usually in red, green and
blue.
Although the cave paintings portray Buddhist
themes, they also blend religion with the secular life
of the people. They depict the life of monks, the postures
of warriors, the costumes and ornaments of donors, as
well as ancient Xinjiang music, dances, buildings, farming,
weaving, and pottery making. On the painting are inscriptions
in different ancient languages. Thus Xinjiang grotto art
provides valuable material for studying the development
of Buddhism in China and for research into ancient society,
culture and art of Xinjiang. Buddhism flourished for more
than 1,000 years in Xinjiang until the fourteenth century
when it was superseded by Islam. These magnificent Buddhist
caves were then cold-shouldered and fell into disrepair.
A number of them were robbed and destroyed. After liberation
the people's government began to restore the major Buddhist
grottoes in Xinjiang. Those caves that remain standing
today are:
Three Immortals Caves, Kizil Grottoes, Kumtura Grottoes,
Kizilgaha Grottoes, Senmusaimu Grottoes, Mazhabohe Grottoes,
Tuohulakeaiken Grottoes, Bizaklik Grottoes, Shengjinkou
Grottoes, Yarhu Grottoes and Tuyugou Grottoes.
There are also the Tuhelak Caves in
Wensu County, and the Taitair and Wenssu caves in Baicheng
County. All these caves are on the list of ancient relics
under state protection, and all have been repaired and
maintained.
