Yulin Cave 32

CHINA, Gansu, Guazhou

This cave is located at the south end of the west cliff. It is a mid-sized cave created during the Five Dynasties (907–960). The antechamber has been completely destroyed and the corridor is badly damaged; however, many of the murals within the main chamber are still preserved. The main chamber has a square layout with a seated Buddha at the center. The Buddha was restored during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). A damaged lotus medallion is found at the center of the truncated pyramidal ceiling. The four slopes of the ceiling are painted with drapery, apsaras, the Thousand Buddhas, and a Prabhutaratna Pagoda. In addition, each corner of the ceiling depicts a different figure, namely: Suryaprabha Buddha, Candraprabha Buddha, Vasu, and Vaisravana Heavenly King of the North. The back (west) wall is painted with an illustration of the Brahmajala Sutra and has been a valuable source of information on the subject. The south wall exhibits a depiction of the Battle Between Sariputra and Raudraksa, and on the north wall is an illustration of the Vimalakirti Sutra. Illustrations of Manjusri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas are portrayed on the front (east) wall.