2008 Eclipse Trip - Page 30

Bezeklik Caves

The Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves (Bozikeli Qian Fo Dong) are on the northwestern side of the Flaming Mountains facing a river valley about 15 kilometers north of the ruins of the ancient city of Gaochang and 45 kilometers east of modern Turpan. These caves are one of the largest Buddhist grotto complexes in Xinjiang, with 77 shiku (caves carved to house Buddhist images) containing frescoes and statuary ranging from the naïve to the masterly.

Unfortunately, the site has suffered waves of despoilment, whether from vandals and thieves, Muslims seeking to eliminate traces of Buddhism after Islam swept across Central Asia, overzealous Red Guards, or avaricious European explorer-archaeologists.