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 (five with decoration) and nine on the east (three with decoration). 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: Cave Construction Modification Location Cave 1 Yuan west cliff; north end, lower tier Cave 2 Western Xia Qing (sculptures) west cliff; centre, lower tier Cave 3 Yuan Qing (sculptures) west cliff; south end, upper tier Cave 4 Western Xia west cliff; centre, upper tier Cave 5 Western Xia west cliff; centre, upper tier Cave 6 Yuan Qing (sculptures) east cliff; north end, upper tier Cave 7 Yuan Qing (sculptures) east cliff; centre, upper tier Cave 8 Western Xia east cliff; centre, upper tier
See also Major National Historical and Cultural Sites (Gansu) Principles for the Conservation of Heritage Sites in China Tiantishan Caves
References
External links Eastern Thousand Buddha Caves (Dunhuang Academy)