CHC講座-How to approach Buddhist Cave-shrines in Medieval China?

Buddhist cave-shrines not only attract visitors with their monumental size holding the viewers’ breath and exquisite craftsmanship evoking religious awe, but also as material manifestations of the vibrant exchanges among peoples and cultures along the silk routes. They are fascinating in the sense that even a single cave is defined by complex interplays among sculptures, architectures, mural paintings, efficacious inscriptions as well as the religious rituals and practices once performed in and around it. It is never an easy task to effectively approach these painstakingly designed religious, pictorial systems.

This talk provides an introduction on the inauguration of four major cave-shrine sites in China namely Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang, Yungang Grottoes in Datong, Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang and Baodingshan Cliff Carvings at Dazu. More importantly, the speaker chooses one individual cave in each of the sites as case studies to demonstrate several different methods and approaches to read and experience the image system of a cave-shrine.