Magao caves are situated at a strategic point along the Silk Route, at the crossroads of trade as well as religious, cultural and intellectual influences.
3. The Mogao Caves form a system of 492 temples, 25 km (16 mi)
southeast of the centre of Dunhuang, an oasis located at a religious
and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in China. The caves are also
known as the Dunhuang Caves.
4. History of Mogao Caves
• The first cave was chiselled out in 366 AD. According to legend, a monk
called Yue Zun dreamed of 1,000 golden Buddhas when he was traveling
home across this region, and he decided to turn his dream into reality by
painting them on the wall of a cave.
• These Caves contains one of the oldest and most vivid scenes of cultural
exchanges along the Silk Road, depicting a camel pulling a cart typical of
trade missions of that period.
• Early example of artistic Chinese cartography i.e. mountains, rivers, cities,
temples, roads and caravans are depicted.
• Presently 492 caves are preserved, housing about 45,000 square meters of
murals and more than 2,000 painted sculptures.
• These caves represents the great achievement of Buddhist art from the 4th
to the 14th century.
• Biggest discovery was done by a Chinese Taoist named Wang Yuanlu who
appointed himself guardian of some of these temples.
5. Xuanzang (Chinese Buddhist monk, who described the interaction between
Chinese Buddhism and Indian Buddhism )returning from India
High Tang period (712-765).
6. The Thousand-Buddha motif is painted on the ceiling.
Colours of the motifs are still as bright as new.
Reclining Buddha
7. Indian Influences
Buddhism in china have arrived in the third century BC because there is evidence that
the Qin Emperor ordered the destruction of the religion about 213 BC.
8. • The earliest statues of Buddha in
magao caves have typical Indian hand
gestures and poses.
• The darker skin of the Indians seems
to have interested some of the
Chinese image makers. In the caves
Buddhist temple banners, as well as
on the Chapel walls, the artists
portrayed the darker skinned people,
two very important Bodhisattvas in
the Mahayana pantheon.
• Occasionally we see a bare torso like in
Gupta period, the use of the dhoti
cloth and the ornaments like the
necklaces, bracelets and anklets which
were more in vogue in India. A dusky
curly hair and thick lips, bare torso
wearing Indian jewellery are found in
the paintings showing the meeting
between Manjusri and VimalakirtiPainting of the meeting of Manjusri and
Vimalakirti.
9. • There are traces of Indian Chaitya cave, mainly for holding religious
services. The Chaitya cave has a stupa in the centre around which
Buddhists used to do circumambulation. In the Mogao caves there is a
square central column, a variation of the stupa. The round space around
the stupa was correspondingly changed into a square.
• Many rare plants and exotic trees grow in the temple grounds bought
from other regions by monks . There also is a plant which was planted by
an Indian monk, Sandalwood of Indian origin, with fragrant aroma is used
to make fans and eaglewood tree also from India, produces a famous
perfume known as qi nan xiang.
• Silk Road, had indeed played a foundational role in bringing about the
India-China confluence of the past.
• Dunhuang was a major point of intersection along the Silk Road, one of
whose branch lines headed towards India.
10. Textiles
• Magao caves have a treasure trove of 50,000 Buddhist paintings and
manuscripts dating back to the 5th Century.
• The textiles found in the Library Cave include silk banners, altar hangings,
wrappings for manuscripts, and monks' apparel.
• The monks normally used fabrics consisting of a patchwork of different
scraps of cloth as a sign of humility; these therefore provide valuable
insights into the various type of silk cloth and embroidery available at the
time.
• Silk banners were used to adorn the cliff-face at the caves during festivals,
and these are painted and may be embroidered.
• There are also many embroidered textile in the collection.
11. Shakyamuni preaching on the Vulture
Peak, silk embroidery on hemp cloth
Front close up of the textile(silk)
Back close up of the textile(silk)
12. Large painting showing
Buddha is seated under a
jewelled Bodhi tree. One of
the earliest of the paintings
found in the caves. Made
from Ink and colours on silk.
13. Hanging scroll of a bodhisattva. Made with
ink and pigments on silk with gold leaf.
14. Culture
• Buddhism is a perfect example of how a religion can enrich the art and
culture of various nationalities.
• These caves on silk road in ancient times was a cultural crossroad between
china and other regions and also a major trade route.
• Civilizations like China, India, Greece, Persia and Rome were exchanged
along this famous trade route, making the route a great "Cultural Bridge"
between Asia and Europe.
• Influence of different cultures can also be seen in the art work found in
the caves specially from India as the Buddhism was originated in India.
