Bizalkik Thousand Buddha Caves

As the best-known remains of the Buddihist temple in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Bizalkik Thousand-Buddha Caves is 45 kilometers (28 miles) in the east part of Turpan, standing high on the cliffs of west Mugou Valley beneath the Flaming Mountain, which is just 15 kilometers (9 miles) away from the Ancient Gaochang City.

Firstly built in the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420 A.D.-581 A.D.), the construction of Bizalkik Thousand-Buddha Caves last from the Tang Dynasty (618 A.D.-907 A.D.) to the Song Dynasty (960 A.D-1279 A.D) then to the Yuan Dynasty (1206 A.D.-1368 A.D), which functions as one of the Buddhist centers in the Western Region. Actually the Bizaklik Caves was a royal temple of Huihu (A minority nationality in ancient times and the predecessor of Uygur nationality today) nationality and the present caves are enlarged on the basis of the past one.

Originally there were 83 caves in all, but there are only 57 ones remain for the present. And there are 40 murals that will take us back to the ancient Huihu nationality, where we can see the people from all walks of life, including the queens and the kings as well as the commoners. The murals cover an area over 1,200 square meters (12,917 square feet) in the forms of Buddha, the mural trransformations and Buddhist stories meaning to preach the Buddhist doctrines to the devoted men and women. Although the caves have experienced wars and robberies, the remaining parts such as the delicate Buddha seats and colorful murals take us to its glorious period in the past. The inscriptions written in ancient Uygur, Chinese and other languages, provide credible references for the valuable historic research for the later generations.

Getting there
Bizalkik Thousand-Buddha Caves is 45 kilometers (28miles) in the east part of Turpan, so you can take a taxi there directly. It is open to the public from 8:00 in the morning to 9:00 in the evening.

Travel Tips:
1. Because the Caves are located on the cliff, you’d better stay within the marked areas for your safety.
2. The visitors are not allowed to touch the murals and artifacts to protect them for future enjoyment
3. You are not allowed smoking in the caves.
4. No photos inside the caves.