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The Hexi Corridor, a place where civilizations converge
From Zhang Qian's envoy to the Western Regions, to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to expand his territory
The mystery of the Western Regions was thus unveiled
The prosperous Silk Road was born
As the golden section of the ancient Silk Road
Here is a microcosm of the Chinese civilization of 2000
▲ Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes Cave 323, "Zhang Qian's Envoy to the Western Regions Map". Photography / Ink Maple
It has also become a popular destination for the spread of Buddhism
In the Hexi Corridor, there are countless exquisite grottoes
These grottoes have been excavated for a long time and have lasted a long time
It has become an irreplaceable civilization in the Hexi Corridor
We can't help but ask: Where did these massive and massive grottoes come from? Why can the Hexi Corridor grottoes last for 1600 years?
Speaking of the source and development of the Hexi Grottoes, it is necessary to mention the originator of the grottoes "Tiantishan Grottoes", which not only affected the construction style of the world-famous Mogao Grottoes, Yungang Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes can have today's glory, but also inseparable from the influence of "Tiantishan Grottoes".
First, it began in Northern Liang and ended in the Qing Dynasty
Mentioning the glory of The Mogao Grottoes, Yungang Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes, thanks to one person - Depressed Canal Mengxun, it is estimated that many people will wonder: Who is Depressed Canal Mengxun? Why thank him?
As the lord of the Northern Liang Kingdom during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, He was depressed and advocated Buddhism. As early as a century ago, during the Western Jin Dynasty, Buddhism imported from the Western Regions had developed greatly in this land, and at the time of the rise of The Depression Canal Mengxun, Hexi already had a fairly rich Buddhist cultural soil.
▲ South City Gate Tower, Liangzhou District
The stable and comfortable situation and the developed commercial and trade transportation have created all the necessary conditions for the further implementation of Buddhism in The Depression Canal Mengxun, translating Buddhist scriptures and building monasteries, and the Guzang Monastery in the northern Liang capital is majestic, and the tall towers are forested and magnificent.
▲In the picture is the Kumarosh Temple, which is a precious relic of the study of Wuliang and Buddhist culture, and the right side is the Pagoda of The Rosh Temple
In 412 AD, in order to further create his "Buddha Kingdom on Earth", Fengqu Mengxun ordered the construction of grottoes that could last forever, and ordered the liangzhou monk Tan Yao to dig a cave on Tianti Mountain, a hundred miles south of the city, to build a Large-scale Buddha statue, which had a great influence.
This grand event was recorded 100 years later by the Northern Wei dynasty Cui Hong in the "Spring and Autumn of the Sixteen Kingdoms", "First King Mengxun had a cool soil, specialized in promoting Buddha, and created a large image in the southern hundred mile cliffs of Liangzhou, which was ever-changing and dazzling."
Cave 4 Northern Cool Mural
Second, it is very popular and far-reaching
Perhaps, Frustrated Canal Mengxun did not expect that the Tiantishan Grottoes he presided over the excavation officially opened the royal mode, it can be said that the vigorous promotion of the grottoes by successive rulers has ushered in the climax of grotto art.
Since 460 AD, the Liangzhou monks who excavated the Tiantishan Grottoes, represented by Tan Yao, have become the main technical force in the carving art of the Yungang Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes.
At this time, the Mogao Grottoes, the fame is not far away, although excavated in the pre-Qin, but the prosperous period is in the Northern Wei Xiaoming Emperor period (516-528 AD), with the demise of Northern Liang, a large number of Liangzhou monks moved to Dunhuang, thus promoting the influence of the Central Plains Grottoes on the dunhuang grottoes style. At this time, it was more than 100 years after the excavation of the Tiantishan Grottoes.
▲ The trick music figure in the Dunhuang mural, with the famous rebound pipa image in the middle
If you want to set an origin for the development of Chinese grotto art, then since it was introduced from the western region to the Hexi Corridor, it was founded in the Tiantishan Grottoes, and the influence process should be:
Tiantishan Grottoes - Yungang Grottoes - Longmen Grottoes - Dunhuang Grottoes
It can be said that the Tiantishan Grottoes are well-deservedly praised by experts and scholars as the "originator" of China's grottoes.
Third, grand and magnificent, long and brilliant
Since the construction of Beiliang, through the Northern Dynasty, Sui and Tang Dynasties, Western Xia and even to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Tiantishan Grottoes have a history of more than 1600 years, and the cascading distribution of cultural relics is an important feature of its murals and sculptures.
The peak of Tianti Mountain is majestic, steep and steep, high into the clouds, the mountain has stone steps, pick up the steps, the road is rugged, shaped like a hanging ladder, so it is called Tianti Mountain. The mountain peak is covered with snow all year round, commonly known as "ladder snow", and is one of the eight scenic spots in Liangzhou.
Three-story caves, 17 Buddhist shrines hundreds of square meters of murals, as well as Beiliang 5 caves, Northern Wei 4 caves, Tang Dynasty 3 caves, Ming Dynasty 7 caves, more than 100 Buddha statues magnificent grotto art is shocking.
The big Buddha in the grotto sits on the mountain, the blue waves under his feet, and the thin clouds wrap around his body, forming a spectacular wonder of mountains, water, Buddha and clouds, which is a prestigious tourist attraction in Liangzhou.