img

 找回密码
 立即注册

QQ登录

只需一步,快速开始

搜索

Maijishan Cave Introduction

2016-5-31 10:34| 发布者: 武子| 查看: 853| 评论: 0|来自: Nomination Dossier

摘要: (1) Contribution to the Silk Roads' OUV The Maijishan Cave-Temple Complex, built and carved from mid-5th century AD to 13th century AD, is the second largest Buddhist Cave-Temple Complex in Hosi Corri ...

 

 

 

 

(1) Contribution to the Silk Roads' OUV

The Maijishan Cave-Temple Complex, built and carved from mid-5th century AD to 13th century AD, is the second largest Buddhist Cave-Temple Complex in Hosi Corridor, only second to the Dunhuang Mogao Caves. It is a representative cave-temple complex of Western Wei and Northern Zhou dynasties and demonstrates further localization and development of Chinese Buddhistcaves after localization in Yungang Caves. Located in a strategically important transport location, Maijishan Cave-Temple Complex were influenced by Yungang and Longmen Caves in Central and North China, as well as South China and Western cultures. Palpable Chinese Buddhist architecture style and earliest illustrations of Buddhist Sutra can be observed in Maijishan Cave- Temple Complex, which, as key remains marked the turning period in Buddhism transmission westbound along the Slik Roads.

(2) General Information

Maijishan Cave-Temple Complex is located in Tianshui city in the east of Gansu province, China. The remains consist of Buddhist cave remains and relevant Buddhist temples and pagoda. The caves, connected by plank ways at various levels, are carved in different layers on the western, southern and eastern cliff of the isolated peak of red sandstone surrounded by mountains, with a lateral range of about 200 meters, as well as a longitude of 20 layers, 10-80 meters high from the ground. There are 198 Buddhist caves built from 5th century to 13th century, over 7000 clay statues, and muralsz of over 1000 square meters. At the foot of southern cliff stands Ruiying Temple built in 5th century (Eastern Jin Dynasty) and rebuilt in 16th century (Ming Dynasty). Facing the southeast, it is now an east-west symmetrical three courtyards of Gansu traditional style in Qing Dynasty. At the top of the mountain there is a pagoda, an octagonal solid pagoda dense-eaved with five floors, 9 meters tall, built in 7th century (Sui Dynasty) and rebuilt in 18th century (Qing Dynasty). The overall image of Maijishan Cave- Temple Complex with its isolated peak and multi-layer caves, constitute unique landscape together with Danxia Landform (various landscapes consist of “a red bed characterized by steep cliffs”) and diverse vegetational landscapes around.

(3) Attributes

Maijishan Cave-Temple Complex is built on the transport node connecting Central China with Hosi Corridor. Composed by 198 Buddhist cave remains on cliffs intensively carved from 5th to 6th century and sustainedly worked on till 13th century, the Caves embody the development and localization of Buddhist Caves via religious interchange along the Silk Roads. Cave remains of 5th to 6th century demonstrate apparent Chinese Buddhist architecture style, the earliest illustrations of Buddhist Sutra, and statues with Han people images and clothes. They provide the earliest and most complete evidence of an important turning period when Buddhism cave temples began to localize in Central China from 5th century to 6th century, and to spread backwards towards the west.

The earliest illustrations of Buddhist Sutra have been preser ved among Maijishan Caves murals, such as Vimalakir ti Sütra murals, Sukhavati Sütra murals and Nir vana Sütra murals in Cave 127 in 5th Centur y (Nor thern Wei Dynasty). Originated from Central China, this mural theme that uses paintings to explain Sutra disseminated to Dunhuang in Hosi Corridor and prospered among murals in Dunhuang Caves, Bezklik Caves in Turpan region and Kumtura Caves in Kucha region (caves after 8th century), revealing the localization of Buddhist ar t in Central China, Hosi and West Regions after 5th century. 109

Caves with Chinese Buddhist architecture style of 6th century preserved in Maijishan Cave-Temple Complex is key evidence of the localization in China of cave style, and “an admirable attempt to create pure Chinese style caves”110. For example, Buddist-hall-form cave with seven-bay, single-eaved hipped roof in Cave 4 of Nor thern Zhou Dynasty, and cave of square Buddhist canopy form with square cone roof, are the largest existing caves with an overall presentation of Chinese-style Buddhist hall. Cave 28, 30, 1, 43, 49 and 5 are caves of Chinese-style Buddhist hall built in 6th century (Late period of Nor thern Wei Dynasty, Western Wei, and Nor thern Zhou dynasties) .111 Clay Buddhist Statues from 5th century to 6th century in Maijishan Cave-Temple Complex fully reflect the localization of statue patterns in China. Its early sculpture ar t had been influenced by Yungang Grottoes, but developed a more beautiful and vivid style. Directly influenced by sculpture ar t in Central China and aesthetic taste in the Southern Dynasties (Han people’s regime in Southern China from 5th centur y to 6th century), the sculptures bear remarkable characteristics of Han people and apparent tendency of secularization in terms of themes, as well as the complexion, shape and clothes of the figures. Typical remains include Budhisattva, disciples, mallas(Sankrit means strong man), novice monks, etc.

Baorousu (the technique by which frescoes are decorated with thin sculpture on the naked parts such as hands and feet, and with colored drawings on clothing parts) on the top of outside gallery of Cave 4, combining low relief art and mural art, is a unique artistic form of Maijishan Cave-Temple Complex. 112

 


飘过

用心

有用

点赞

无趣

QQ|Archiver|小黑屋|丝路遗产丝绸之路:长安天山廊道的路网 ( 陕ICP备07011065号-3 )

GMT+8, 2024-3-28 21:19 , Processed in 0.187908 second(s), 20 queries .

Powered by Discuz! X3.5

© 2001-2024 Discuz! Team.

返回顶部