The Five Temple Caves () is a series of rock cut Buddhist caves in Subei Mongol Autonomous County, Gansu, northwest China. The complex once numbered twenty-two caves but over the centuries the number was reduced to five, of which four remain today, in a gorge on the left bank of the Danghe River (党河). On the basis of their structure and iconography, one of the caves is dated to the Northern Wei, the other three to the Five Dynasties and Song. The complex lies some to the south of the Mogao Caves, and together with these, the Western Thousand Buddha Caves, Eastern Thousand Buddha Caves, and Yulin Caves, is one of the five grotto sites in the vicinity of Dunhuang managed by the Dunhuang Academy. In 2013, in recognition of their significance to China, the Five Temple Caves were designated by SACH a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.
Caves There are four caves with murals: Cave Construction Modification Subject matter Type Cave 1 Northern Wei/Northern Zhou Western Xia or Yuan Tejaprabhā Buddha, Twelve Signs and Twenty-Eight Mansions of the zodiac central pillar Cave 2 Northern Wei/Northern Zhou honeysuckle pattern; fire-damaged rectangular, with front (collapsed) and rear chambers Cave 3 Northern Zhou Western Xia Vimalakīrti, Mañjuśrī, Avalokiteśvara rectangular, with front (collapsed) and rear chambers Cave 4 Northern Zhou/Five Dynasties Western Xia Samantabhadra, Thousand Buddhas rectangular, with front (collapsed) and rear chambers
One Temple Cave A further five kilometres to the south, on the east bank of the Danghe, is a site known as the One Temple Cave () (). One cave with murals survives, showing donor figures and dated to the tenth century.
See also Major National Historical and Cultural Sites (Gansu) Principles for the Conservation of Heritage Sites in China Tiantishan Caves
References
External links Five Temple Caves (Dunhuang Academy)