Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s4.t2.16

Language: English

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The Northern Wei period when Tuoba family of the Xianbei nationality entered the central plains was the thriving period of Buddhist cave art in north China. Most of the emperors in the Northern Wei Dynasty worshipped the Buddhist doctrine. In 439 AD, Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty exterminated ‘Beiliang’, “Liangzhou was flat, the people migrated to Jingyi, and Sramana and Buddhists all moved east, thus the preaching of Buddhism increased,” (‘*History of Wei Dynasty - Annals of Buddhism & Taoism*’). The monks who moved from Liangzhou to the capital, Pingcheng of the Northern Wei Dynasty (now Datong, Shanxi), included Sramana Shixian from Ji Bin. He once served as a monk official, and carved or modelled Buddha statues imitating the image of the King of the Northern Wei on imperial orders. From 460-465 CE, the Zen monk Tanyao from Liangzhou succeeded Shixian as Sramana official, and suggested Emperor Wencheng of the Northern Wei “to cut the stone walls in the mountain on the Xiwuzhou frontier of the capital, and to dig five caves and engrave a Buddha statue in each, of which the highest 70 ft, the second highest was 60 ft, with spectacular carved decoration, matchless in the world,” (‘*History of Wei Dynasty* - *Annals of Buddhism & Taoism*’). This is the first phase of the Five Tanyao Caves in Yungang (the 16ᵗʰ, 17ᵗʰ, 18ᵗʰ, 19ᵗʰ, and 20ᵗʰ caves). The modelling plane of the five caves is horseshoe shaped with a dome roof;

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generally mimicking the Indian oval shaped thatched cottage form. The big stone carving Buddha statues of the Five Tanyao Caves on one hand permeates the notion of “King is Buddha” in the Northern Wei Dynasty, emphasising the imperial dignity and personality characteristics of the imperial dignified manner from appearance, temperament, and decoration. On the other hand, the expression style of clothing lines in the modelling tradition of Gandhara Buddha statues or Gupta Mathura Buddha statues. The main statues of the Five Tanyao Caves are Buddhas of Three Periods, and the main Buddha is unusually tall. The standing statue of the main Buddha in the 18ᵗʰ cave is 15.5 mt tall, the sitting statue of the main Buddha in the 19ᵗʰ cave is 16.8 mt tall, and the sitting statue of the main Buddha in the 20ᵗʰ cave is 14 mt tall. These standing or sitting Buddha in the shrine-shaped cave are reminiscent of the big Buddha statues in Bamian or Qiuci. The modelling of the main Buddha statues have high rounded buns and plump faces, with two ears hanging to the shoulders, eyes seeing the distance, wide shoulder and thick chest, vigorous body profile, mostly in cassock with exposed right side. The clothing lines are neat and pattern-like, full of the features of the idealised image of the leader of the northern nationality in China.

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The main Buddha in the 20ᵗʰ cave has high nose, deep eyes, thin lips, moustache, and flame-pattern neck light and back light, all embodying the characteristics of Gandhara Buddha statues, especially the Kapicsa style. The wavy hair of the main Buddha in the 16ᵗʰ cave also belongs to the legacy of Gandhara Buddha statues. On the either side of the main Buddha stands the follower Buddha figures, the appearances of which are the same with the main Buddha, but the clothing lines of the through-shoulder cassock inherit the U shape wave portraying method of the Buddha statues in Western Qin Cave of Binglingsi. Especially on the standing Buddha on the eastern wall of the 18ᵗʰ cave, and the standing Buddha on the western side of the southern wall of the 19ᵗʰ cave, the translucent thin through-shoulder clothing sticks close to the body, the U shape curve of clothing lines hangs down from his bosom, and the right hand seems to be posturing Abhaya Mudrā, closely resembles the Mathura style of Buddha statues. The disciple relief on the eastern wall of the 18ᵗʰ cave with deep eyes and high nose resembles the modelling of the strong facial expression of ‘*Khata’s*’ plaster statue.

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In addition, in Yungang Caves, a lot of relieves depicting Bunsen stories and Buddha stories, the subject and the composition are similar with the relieves of the same kind in Gandhara area, and often the directions of the relief compositions of the same subject are opposite in the two places, therefore it is postulated that some of Yungang relieves may be the rubbings of Gandhara relieves.