Subashi Buddist Ruins Introduction

(1) Contribution to the Silk Roads' OUV

Subash Buddhist Ruins were the extant oldest, largest and best preserved Buddhist architectural complex in the Western Regions, continuously used from 3rd century to 10th century. As an important Buddhist architectural complex site in Kucha, south of Tian-shan Mountains, it presents the history of Kucha as the center of Western Regions Buddhism transmission along the Silk Roads. The unearthed relics including silk, ancient coins, instruments and documents validate the multi-cultural and commercial interchange in Kucha area along the Silk Roads.

(2) General Information

Subash Buddhist Ruins are located 20 kilometers to the northwest of Kuqa County in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. They stands on the alluvial terraces alongside the east and west banks of Kuqa River, which is on the south slope of Queletage Mountain. The temple complex was built in the 3rd century and gradually turned obsolete after the 10th century. Subash Buddhist Ruins include two areas of temple ruins alongside the banks of Kucha River with a distribution area of 20 ha. The East Buddhist Ruins and West Buddhist Ruins are both comprised of Buddhism Halls, Buddhism Pagodas and Monks’ quarter houses. Some caves are also included in the West Buddhist Ruins. The buildings on the ground are constructed by adobe. The unearthed relics of the Site are of various kinds, including Sarira boxes, silk, ancient coins, pottery, copper ware, iron ware, wood, wooden slips, paper documents and mural fragments to stone statues, clay parts, etc..101

(3) Attributes

Subash Buddhist Ruins, as an important site of Buddhist architectural complex102 located in the South of Tianshan Mountains in ancient Kucha region, with its 20 hectares Buddhist architectural remains of 3rd century to 10th century103 on both banks of Kucha River, present the history of Kucha as the center of Buddhism transmission along the Silk Roads. The unearthed relics including silk, ancient coins, pottery, instruments, paper documents are assisted evidence to multi-cultural and commercial interchange in Kucha area along the Silk Roads.

Subash Buddhist Ruins have provided evidence for the research of eayly period of Buddhism transmission. According to the C14 dating of the rotten wood in the site, the date can be traced back to the 3rd century.

Estimated by the cave northwest of the site, the date could be as early as the 4th century104. According to historical records, the ancient Kucha has been the most important Buddhism transmission center in the Western Regions from the 3rd century to the 9th century. Subash Buddhist Ruins corroborates with the literature since it was the Buddhism transmission center of the ancient Kucha. In the literature of Nor thern Wei Dynasty, Notes on Book of Waterways, written by Li Daoyuan, the temple complex was referred to as “Que-li (modern pronunciation)”; in “Kumarajiva Biography”, Volume II of Biographies of Eminent Monk in Liang Dynasty, as “Queli (this ‘li’ is same in modern pronunciation but different in Chinese character)”, where Kumarajiva’s mother receives enlightenment. While in Xuanzang’s Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, it was referred to as “Shao-huli (another ‘li’)”, a royal temple of Kucha Kingdom. As a matter of fact, the three names are proved to be different translations to the same Sanskrit name “Cakra”, and all refer to the same temple. This fact indicates the important position and long history of the Subash Buddhism Ruins in the dissemination of Buddhism on the Silk Roads. According to the related literature, the Shah-Ji-Ki-Dheri Stupa in Peshawar of Pakistan named Purusapura or Queli Stupa in Chinese. Subash Buddhist Ruins were once called Queli Temple. In the capital Yecheng of the Eastern Wei Dynasty and the Nor thern Qi Dynasty, there were also Queli temples. Such coincidence is the best example of communications between the west and China at that time105.

The round pagoda set on a square base is also a typical representative of the Western Buddhism pagoda, which witnessed the transition of its architectural styles in Western Regions.

In 1903, a Sarira box with the painting of a 21-members band on the surface was excavated by Japanese ōtani Kōzui Expedition in the Subash Buddhism Ruins. The characters and images on the relic box are the portrayal of the social reality in Kucha. It is suggested that the picture presents the fragment of a popular ancient Western dance drama named “Su Mu Zhe”, which is extremely valuable material to study the West Regions art. In addition, The French Scholar Pelliot discovered 7 Sarira boxes with decorations of dancing figures at the Subashi Buddhist Ruins. Silk and woolen fabrics, bronze coins minted in Central China from Eastern Han Dynasty to Tang Dynasty, coins minted by local governments such as those in Kucha, Persian silver coins, colored glass ar ticles, inscriptions and records in Uygur, Brāhmī and other local languages were also found. These relics witnessed the cultural and commercial interchange activities in ancient Kucha along the Silk Road .