Dunhuang Mogao Caves, Northern Caves. Volume 3

Author: Peng Jinzhang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: The "Dunhuang Mogao Caves North Area" has recently passed expert evaluation, confirming that the complete Mogao Cave Temple Complex is composed of both the North and South Areas. As a result, the number of recorded caves in the Mogao Caves will increase from 492 to 735. The Dunhuang Mogao Caves were carved into a cliff approximately 1,700 meters east of the Mingsha Mountains. Among the 492 caves recorded in the "Comprehensive Catalogue of Dunhuang Mogao Caves," all are adorned with murals and sculptures, with 487 located in the approximately 1,000-meter-long South Area. The cliff face of the North Area, aside from caves 461 to 465 which are recorded, also contains hundreds of unrecorded caves, many of which have not been given sufficient attention due to the lack of murals and sculptures. However, these long-unmarked caves have always been a subject of interest to academic circles both at home and abroad in terms of their physical characteristics, nature, function, formation period, relationship with the South Area caves, and their position within the entire Mogao Cave Complex. After years of large-scale archaeological excavations, the project leader, Mr. Peng Jinzhang, an archaeological expert from the Dunhuang Academy, and the project team have finally determined that there are 248 existing caves in the North Area. Therefore, in addition to the five previously recorded caves, the Dunhuang Caves have gained 243 newly numbered caves. At the same time, the research team has largely clarified the types, nature, and functions of the North Area caves, including Zen meditation caves, monk's quarters, and associated meditation caves and granaries, which are the first discoveries in the Dunhuang region, filling gaps in Dunhuang Cave research. A large number of valuable artifacts were unearthed during this excavation. For the first time in the Dunhuang region, a Persian silver coin was discovered. Documents such as the Western Xia-era "Fragmented Gold" and the bilingual (Western Xia and Chinese) dual-section dictionary "Fanhàn Héshí Zhǎngzhōngzhū" are the first of their kind found nationwide. The Western Xia-era printed book "Various Esoteric Mantras" and the movable-type printed book "The Bodhisattva Guanyin's Sutra of Great Compassion" are the only surviving copies in the world. The Chinese phonetic dictionary "Pai Zi Yun" is a long-lost existing. Currently, the archaeological report on the systematic excavation of the Dunhuang Mogao Caves North Area and the research findings on unearthed artifacts have been compiled into a three-volume, million-word work titled "Dunhuang Mogao Caves North Area," with the first volume already published. After evaluation, an expert panel of seven Dunhuang scholars, including He Shizhe, concluded that "Dunhuang Mogao Caves North Area" features detailed textual records, complete measured route maps, and rich photographic content. It not only provides valuable materials for the comprehensive and in-depth study of the Dunhuang Mogao Caves by academia but also confirms that the North Area caves are a crucial part of the entire Dunhuang Cave Complex.