Chinese Grottoes, Kizil Grottoes, Volume III

Author: Xia Nai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-12-01
Features: The Chinese Cave Temples: Kizil Cave Temples (3) is published by the Palace Museum Press. This large-scale color series book is co-published by the Palace Museum Press of China and Heibonsha of Japan. The editorial committee is composed of renowned scholars from both China and Japan, including Xia Nai, Su Bai, Jin Weino, Nagahiro Tatsuo, Okazaki Kei, and Tominaga Kengo, among others. Relevant cultural relic and archaeological units are responsible for editing, while scholars from both countries contribute to writing the papers. It began to be published in both Chinese and Japanese versions in Beijing and Tokyo since December 1980. The Chinese Cave Temples series is composed of representative cave temple groups, totaling 17 volumes. Each volume publishes 192 to 300 illustrations and 2 to 5 papers, accompanied by illustrations, chronicles, measured drawings, and comprehensive catalogs of each cave temple group. The complete series is organized as follows: Dunhuang Mogao Caves (5 volumes), Gongxian Cave Temple (1 volume), Kizil Cave Temples (3 volumes), Kuromtu Cave Temples (1 volume), Yongjing Bingling Temple (1 volume), Tianshui Maijishan (1 volume), Longmen Cave Temples (2 volumes), Yunghan Cave Temples (2 volumes), and Anxi Yulin Cave Temples (1 volume). The construction of cave temples originated in India and began in China during the Sixteen Kingdoms period, continuing until the Ming and Qing dynasties, spanning over a thousand years. It was particularly flourishing during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties. Countless artists, based on the religious beliefs and social customs of their time, combined their personal experiences, and continuously innovated by absorbing foreign cultural arts, forming distinctive Chinese characteristics. These cave temples reflect the ideological culture and social life of China's feudal era, embodying the pinnacle of architectural, sculptural, and painting arts. The Chinese Cave Temples series systematically and comprehensively publishes important works and research materials on Chinese cave temple art, reflecting the latest research levels. It is printed with high quality and represents the collaborative achievement of China's cultural relic and archaeological community and the publishing industry. Since its publication, it has attracted worldwide academic attention.