Kizil Caves

The Kizil caves were cut into a cliff above the Muzat river from around the third century, making them the earliest large Buddhist cave complex in what is now China, some two centuries before Dunhuang's main phase. They belonged to the kingdom of Kucha, and the painting reflects that position on the routes from India and Central Asia: figures with Indian and Persian features, lapis blue grounds, and a distinctive diamond-lattice composition of narrative scenes across barrel-vaulted ceilings. Around two hundred and thirty caves survive, of which a handful are open. Many murals were removed by foreign expeditions in the early twentieth century.

What you actually see

• The vaulted painted ceilings - diamond-lattice narrative panels in lapis blue.
• The Kuchean style - figures closer to Indian and Persian models.
• The cliff complex - over two hundred caves cut above the river.
• The removal marks - walls where sections were cut away for export.

When to go

April to May and September to October; the Tarim basin summer is extremely hot with no shade at the cliff. Only a small rotating set of caves is open on any given day.

Honest expectations

Photography inside is prohibited. Only a few caves are open and premium caves cost significantly more. Many of the finest murals are in museums in Berlin and elsewhere.

Nearby

The Tianshan Mysterious Grand Canyon lies north; Kuqa is southeast.