Kizil Caves Scenic Area, also known as Kizil Thousand-Buddha Caves, is located on the cliffs of Mingwu Tag Mountain, 7 kilometers southeast of Kizil Town, Baicheng County, Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with the Muzat River Valley to the south. The scenic area is a national 4A-level tourist attraction and the earliest large-scale cave complex excavated in China, located at the westernmost geographical position. The entire cave complex stretches 1.7 kilometers from east to west, covering an area of 3.46 square kilometers, with 4 cave areas. There are 236 officially numbered caves, plus some unnumbered ones, with the total number of discovered caves reaching 349. Most of the statues have been destroyed, but 81 caves still preserve exquisite murals, with the remaining mural area exceeding 10,000 square meters. In 1961, Kizil Caves were listed as one of the first batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units, and in 2014, as a heritage site of the "Silk Road: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor", it was successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List.
History and Culture
Kizil Caves were roughly excavated in the 3rd century AD and gradually stopped construction from the 8th to 9th centuries AD, with an extremely rare long duration in the world. Its construction was closely related to the ancient Qiuci Kingdom, which was founded in 176 BC and destroyed by the Uighurs in 1001 AD, being one of the major states among the 36 states in the Western Regions during the Han and Tang dynasties. As early as the 1st century AD, Buddhism was introduced to Xinjiang via the Silk Road. In the 4th century AD, Buddhism thrived in the Qiuci Kingdom, and successive Qiuci kings attached importance to it, leading to the large-scale construction of Kizil Caves. The ancient Chinese monk Kumarajiva was born here. He became a monk at the age of 7 and made outstanding contributions to the field of Buddhism, being known as one of the three great translators of Chinese Buddhism together with Paramartha and Xuanzang.
The development of the caves went through the Initial Period (late 3rd century to mid-4th century AD), when most caves were square, with large image caves appearing later, such as Cave 47, which once had a standing Buddha about 16 meters high, with a rough and simple painting style; the Development Period (mid-4th century to late 5th century AD), when cave combinations centered on central pillar caves emerged, forming a monastery pattern, using the shading method and diamond lattice composition, mainly depicting jataka stories and karma stories; the Flourishing Period (6th to 7th centuries AD), when statues were often applied with gold powder or gold foil, karma paintings stood out in square caves, and large central pillar caves were predominant; the Decline Period (8th to 9th centuries AD), as seen from the phenomena of visitors arbitrarily engraving inscriptions in the caves and some original cave paintings being covered and repainted, the decline was related to war, as this place was a battlefield in the early 8th century AD.
Main Attractions
Cave 47
It belongs to a large image cave and is one of the largest caves in Kizil Caves. The cave is divided into front and rear chambers. The front chamber once had an open-air large Buddha statue, originally with a standing Buddha about 16 meters high, excavated in the style of the Bamiyan large image cave. There are five rows of square holes on both left and right walls, which are traces of wooden cave eaves. The original platform in the rear chamber may have had a nirvana Buddha statue, but it has been destroyed. This cave is of great significance for studying the architectural form and statue style of early caves.
Cave 38
It is a typical representative of caves in the Development Period. The cave displays jataka stories with diamond lattice composition, such as the famous jataka story of Prince Mahasattva sacrificing himself to feed the tiger, which is painted here. The use of the shading method makes the picture three-dimensional, vividly demonstrating the exquisite skills of ancient Qiuci painters and reflecting the development characteristics of Buddhist art at that time.
Cave 8
It is representative of caves in the Flourishing Period. The diamond lattice karma diagrams in the cave are very typical, such as the karma story depicting monkeys offering honey to the Buddha. There are more than 100 kinds and thousands of such karma stories in the caves, with rich contents. Although they are difficult to identify, the number and variety are rare in China, making them of important value for studying the spread of Buddhism and the promotion of the idea of cause and effect reincarnation.
New Cave 1
The painted clay nirvana Buddha statue in the cave is the only existing Tang Dynasty Buddhist statue in Xinjiang. Details such as the folds of the Buddha's robe contain profound historical and cultural information, providing precious physical materials for studying the Buddhist statue art of the Tang Dynasty and the Buddhist culture in the Qiuci region at that time.
Food
Nang (Xinjiang Bread)
A traditional Xinjiang food made mainly from flour, which is fermented, shaped, and baked in a nang pit. There are various types, such as sesame nang and meat nang, with a crispy taste, convenient for carrying and preservation. It is the daily staple food of local residents and can be bought in restaurants and shops around the scenic area.
Hand-Pulled Mutton
Made from fresh mutton, stewed in clear water with ingredients such as onions and carrots. When eating, grab the meat with hands and dip it in salt. The meat is tender and delicious, fully reflecting the original flavor of mutton, which can be tasted in restaurants in Baicheng County and near the scenic area.
Baked Buns
Stuffed with mutton, onions, etc., wrapped in dough into a square shape and baked in a nang pit. The skin is crispy, the filling is juicy, and the aroma is rich. It is a highly characteristic Xinjiang food that can be easily found in local street food stalls or restaurants.
Yogurt with Zongzi
Cooked zongzi is cut into small pieces, poured with thick yogurt, and sprinkled with white sugar or honey. The sweet and sour combination offers a rich taste, with the softness of zongzi and the mellowness of yogurt. It is a refreshing and cool special dessert in summer, supplied by some characteristic snack shops around the scenic area.
Tickets
The ticket price is 70 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "龟兹研究" in WeChat to get the latest updates or make online appointment for ticket purchase.
Opening Hours
The usual opening hours are 10:00 - 18:00, but the specific opening hours may be adjusted due to factors such as seasons and maintenance needs.
Tour Route
After entering the scenic area, visitors can first go to the tourist service center to learn about the overall layout of the scenic area, the distribution of caves, and visiting precautions. Then, follow the tour route to visit the caves in the West Valley Area, Inner Valley Area, East Valley Area, and Back Mountain Area in turn. Focus on visiting representative caves, such as Cave 47, Cave 38, Cave 8, and New Cave 1 mentioned above. During the visit, follow the scenic area guides to deeply understand the historical culture, artistic characteristics, and other contents of the caves. It is recommended to arrange 3 - 4 hours for the whole tour to fully appreciate the precious cultural relics such as murals and statues in the caves.
Transportation
- By Air: First arrive at Aksu Wensu Airport, then take a bus from the airport to Baicheng County or choose a chartered car to Kizil Caves Scenic Area. Aksu Wensu Airport is about 110 kilometers away from Baicheng County, with a driving time of about 2 hours.
- By Train: Take the train to Kuqa Station, which is about 70 kilometers away from Kizil Caves Scenic Area. From Kuqa Station, transfer to a bus to Baicheng County, then transfer from Baicheng County to the scenic area; or choose to charter a car from Kuqa directly to the scenic area, with a chartered driving time of about 1.5 hours.
- By Car: Depart from Aksu City, drive along the Turpan-Hotan Expressway to the Baicheng exit, then follow the navigation to Kizil Caves Scenic Area, with the whole journey about 120 kilometers and a driving time of about 1.5 - 2 hours. Depart from Kuqa City, drive along G217 National Highway, with the whole journey about 70 kilometers and a driving time of about 1.5 hours.
Must-Visit Attractions
- Cave 47: One of the largest caves in Kizil Caves, with a unique architectural form of a large image cave. The once existing large standing Buddha shows the statue style of early caves, being of great significance for studying the development of caves.
- Cave 38: A typical cave in the Development Period, with exquisite application of diamond lattice composition and shading method. The jataka story murals vividly reflect the characteristics of ancient Qiuci Buddhist art.
- New Cave 1: Possessing the only existing Tang Dynasty painted clay nirvana Buddha statue in Xinjiang, which is a precious physical object for studying the Buddhist statue art of the Tang Dynasty and the Buddhist culture of Qiuci.
Tour Tips
- Learn about Buddhist culture, Qiuci history, and relevant knowledge of Kizil Caves in advance to help better understand the artistic contents such as murals and statues in the caves.
- Try to visit on weekdays or in the off-season to avoid tourist peaks, so as to visit the caves more calmly and listen to explanations.
- When visiting the caves, be sure to follow the regulations of the scenic area, do not touch cultural relics such as murals and statues, and do not make loud noises to avoid damaging the cultural relics.
- Carry necessary sun protection products, drinking water, and comfortable shoes. The tour route in the scenic area is long, and some areas have strong sunlight.
Notes
- Taking photos or videos in the caves is strictly prohibited. Cultural relics such as murals in the caves are sensitive to light, and camera flashes will accelerate the aging and damage of cultural relics.
- Do not touch cultural relics such as murals, statues, and architectural components in the caves at will. These cultural relics have gone through thousands of years and are very fragile. Touching may cause surface peeling and damage.
- Obey the instructions of scenic area guides and staff, follow the specified route for visiting, and do not leave the team without permission to go to unopened areas.
- Respect local religious beliefs and customs. The area where the scenic area is located has a unique cultural tradition, so avoid causing conflicts due to inappropriate words and deeds.
- Smoking is strictly prohibited in the scenic area. The caves have a wooden structure and a large number of cultural relics, and smoking is prone to cause fires, endangering the safety of cultural relics.