Eastern Thousand Buddha Caves


The Eastern Thousand Buddha Caves is a series of rock cut Buddhist caves in Guazhou County, Gansu, northwest China. Of the twenty-three caves excavated from the conglomerate rock, eight have murals and sculptures dating from the Western Xia and Yuan dynasty; many of the statues were reworked during the Qing dynasty. The caves extend in two tiers along the cliffs that flank both sides of a now dry river gorge, fourteen on the west bank and nine on the east. Together with the Mogao Caves, Western Thousand Buddha Caves, Yulin Caves, and Five Temple Caves, the Eastern Thousand Buddha Caves is one of the five grotto sites in the vicinity of Dunhuang managed by the Dunhuang Academy.

Caves

Eight caves are decorated with murals and sculptures:
CaveConstructionModificationLocation
Cave 1Yuanwest cliff; north end, lower tier
Cave 2Western XiaQing west cliff; centre, lower tier
Cave 3YuanQing west cliff; south end, upper tier
Cave 4Western Xiawest cliff; centre, upper tier
Cave 5Western Xiawest cliff; centre, upper tier
Cave 6YuanQing east cliff; north end, upper tier
Cave 7YuanQing east cliff; centre, upper tier
Cave 8Western Xiaeast cliff; centre, upper tier