Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, A Testament to the Flourishing Buddhist Era

Turpan City, Turpan Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, 45 kilometers east of Flaming Mountain

Turpan has the highest number of existing caves in grottoes

4.5

Introduction

"Decorated Home" is the meaning of "Baziklik" in Uyghur. The Qianfo Cave in Baziklik is located on the cliffs of the middle section of Huoyan Mountain and the west bank of the Mugu River Valley. Qianfo Cave began to be excavated in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and lasted for more than 700 years in the Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, and Yuan Dynasties. It is one of the centers of Buddhism in the Western Region and has the largest and most abundant existing stone caves with murals in Turpan. These murals, centered on large standing Buddha images, depict the stories of Buddhism and Buddhist culture, with the aim of promoting Buddhism to believers. Cultural relics such as Qianfo statues are also used for worship and pilgrimage. Over the course of history, these murals have been damaged many times, but the current murals and Buddha statues still exhibit a magnificent artistic style. Here, the prosperous cultural heritage of Turpan as the center of Buddhism on the Silk Road, such as exquisite murals and ancient documents, is preserved. There are currently a total of 83 caves, of which 57 are still in existence, with more than 40 having murals. However, only 7 caves are open to tourists.

Address

Turpan City, Turpan Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, 45 kilometers east of Flaming Mountain

Opening hours

09:00-20:00 (all day)
last entry at 19:40 (Monday-Sunday, January 1-December 31)

Transportation

45km away from downtown, if chartering a Santana, it costs 300 yuan per day and about 70 yuan per trip per car when shared with other tourists. Alternatively, take a bus from Turpan Station to Shanshan or Sanbao Township, get off at Shengjinkou, transfer to a local three-wheeled motorcycle or take a local car to the Thousand Buddha Caves (5 yuan/person from Turpan to Shengjinkou, 6 yuan/car from Shengjinkou to Thousand Buddha Caves).

Phone 0995-8687885