South Cave Temple

CHINA, Gansu, Pingliang

This cave system is located 7.5 km east of Jingchuan county in Pingliang city, on the left bank of the Jinghe River. According to the Stele of South Cave Temple, kept in the Jingchuan County Cultural Museum, the caves were created in 510 of the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534). The caves were listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 1988.
There are five caves within this cave system. Caves 1 and 5 still contain some remains, while the other three caves are empty. Cave 1’s interior is 18 m wide, 11 m high, and 13 m deep. The cave faces south and has sloped walls resulting in an overall design similar to a truncated pyramid. A window is found above the doorway. Seven Buddhas and 14 Bodhisattvas stand on a platform running along the back (north), east, and west walls. There are three Buddhas along the back (north) wall while the other two walls each have two Buddhas. The Buddhas are 6 m high, while the Bodhisattvas are 3.5 m. A 5 m high Maitreya Bodhisattva with delicate features is positioned on either side of the doorway. The two warriors standing guard outside the doorway were later additions.
Illustrations from the Life of the Buddha can be found on the north, east, and west slopes of the ceiling. The main scenes include the Birth of Prince Siddhartha, Palace Life, Reflections on the Farming Process, the Great Departure, and Enlightenment. Although sections are missing at the beginning and end, it is still clear that these murals depict the complete life story of Sakyamuni Buddha from birth to parinirvana.
Cave 5 contains Eighteen Arhats and is thus also known as the Arhat Cave. Cave 5 is suspected to have been constructed during the Tang dynasty (618–907) because a few statues from that period have been discovered there.