Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves

Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves lie on the northern bank of the Muzat River bank which is between 75 kilometers northwest of Kuqa and Baicheng County.The Muzat River flows in front of the caves.It is one of the four biggest,the earliest groups of grottoes in China,and the largest in area and best -preserved Buddhist cave in Xinjiang.There are altogether 236 caves,which are on the hillside and cliffs.The construction work started in the 3rd century and lasted for about 500 years and the caves were abandoned in the 14^th century.This is the first Buddhist cave-complex in China in the intact caves,though no statuary remains,there still remain wall paintings,about 10,000 square meters in area.The murals,mainly about the Buddha stories,are fine arts of well designed framework and impressive style.

The Kizil Thousand Buddha Grottoes are not only the historical artistic sites,they also provide precious evidence for research on local music,dance,clothing and ornaments,printing and dyeing,and on the history and nationalities of Xinjiang.It is the crystallization of creativity and wisdom of these ancient people,a treasure house of ancient art in the Western Region.