From the Jiuquan Museum, observe the cave art on the Silk Road

Buddhism, as a carrier of East-West cultural exchange, guided numerous Buddhist monks to undertake arduous journeys along the Silk Road to seek and spread the teachings of Buddhism. The eminent monk Zhu Shixing from the Three Kingdoms period brought scriptures from India to Luoyang and established China's first Buddhist temple, the White Horse Temple. Subsequently, figures such as Zhu Fahu of the Western Jin dynasty, Kumarajiva of the Later Qin, Faxian of the Later Qin, Le Seng of the Former Qin, Liu Sahe of the Eastern Jin, Shi Bao Yun of the Eastern Jin, Tan Wu Chen of the Northern Liang, and Xuanzang of the Tang dynasty all used Jiuquan as a station, sprinkling Buddhist thought and doctrine on this land, leaving a deep imprint including the art of the caves. The 'Treasure of the Stone Chamber' cave art exhibition at the Jiuquan Museum is divided into three parts: 'Cultural Integration', 'Carving Cliffs and Opening Caves', and 'Dunhuang Jewels'. It mainly displays the wisdom and skills of ancient artists through a combination of replicas of colored sculptures, murals, illustrations, and physical exhibits. Many classic replicas are on display, such as the Bodhisattva attendant in Cave 45 of the Mogao Grottoes, the Sakyamuni meditation Buddha statue in Cave 259, as well as the Sakyamuni Preaching Under the Tree painting (now in the British Museum), the Water Moon Guanyin statue (now in the Musée Guimet, France), and the Fuxi and Nüwa (now in the National Museum of India), among others. To date, 19 cave sites have been discovered in Jiuquan, including 7 national-level cultural heritage protection sites such as the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, the Yulin Grottoes in Guazhou, the Eastern Thousand Buddha Caves in Guazhou, the Western Thousand Buddha Caves in Dunhuang, the Five Temples Caves in Subei, the Changma Caves in Yumen, and the Xiadongzi Caves in Guazhou, etc. Together, they form a historical record of the development and spread of Buddhism, as well as a history that connects Eastern and Western cultures. Cave art, as a dazzling jewel in the treasure house of ancient Chinese art, possesses unparalleled artistic value.