Bozikelike means a beautifully decorated
place in Uygur. The main caverns are relics of the Gaochang period of the Huihu
people after the 9th century and the latest cavern may be built in the 13th
century. There are 57 labeled caverns, which are comparably well-preserved
grottoes with rich cultural relics of the Gaochang period.
There are two kinds of architectural forms
in the Bozikelike Thousand Buddha Grottoes. One is to carve grottoes out of
cliff, some of which have an earth entrance room in front of them; the other is
to make earth grottoes on the platform connected with the cliff. The layout of
the grottoes is mainly rectangular or square, mostly rectangle. In the northern
area, the grottoes are mainly pillar-centered grottoes; in the middle and
southern area, the grottoes are mainly square and rectangular, some of them have
altars and adjacent rooms. The ceilings are mainly vaults, with the variations
of quaquversals and Taodou. There is usually an entrance room in front of
the main rooms and some caverns share one entrance room and become a grotto
group.
Most of the frescoes
in the grottoes are fragmentary or dilapidated. The fresco on the tunnel ceiling
in the 18th cavern was painted in the Northern Wei
Dynasty (386-534). It has four layers and a large lotus in the center and is
similar to those in the Mogao Grottoes. However, the
middle part is packed with patterns, such as geometric figures, triangles, and
four leaves, etc., and use cool colors such as azurite, cyan and white. It is
simple, elegant, solemn, dignified and rich of ethnic features.
Among the frescoes of the Huihu period after the middle
of the 9th century, the most abundant and distinctive ones are Buddhist story
paintings, which are best represented in the caverns such as the 15th, 18th,
31st, 33rd, 38th, 42nd, etc. The ceilings of these caverns are full of paintings
of the Xianjie Thousand Buddha and some with Baoxiang (the majestic look
of the Buddha) patterns. Painted on two walls of the cavern or south sidewall
are the Buddhist stories. In the center of the painting is a
nearly-3-meter-high-standing Buddha wearing a red narrow shirt and tassel
bracelet. His head leans to one side, hands make various poses, and feet wear
straw sandals and steps on a fully blooming lotus. The Buddha is surrounded with
figures such as Eight Heavenly Dragons, Bodhisattva, Bhiksu, Brahmin and kings.
According to different contents, different kinds of props are attached to the
figures. Also in some cases, inner and outer city walls, temple and tower temple
were painted above or beside the Buddha. Every picture depicts one story. On the
back wall of the 33rd cave remains a painting of mourning disciples and Bhiksu
in the Nirvana Sutra, and because of the vivid figures, it is a rare artistic
treasure.
In the frescoes of the late 10th and early 11th
century, the paintings depict stories of the Western Pure Land, which has the buildings, lakes, lotus, ducks, and performers and
depicts the "Sukhavati" that Buddhists dream of. The kabuki painting in the 16th
cave has smooth lines, appropriate demitint, and fleshy figures. It is a
treasure of the ancient Chinese painting art.
These frescoes show part of the life of
ancient Uygur people. The great amount of kabuki paintings is precious graphic
recourses for the research on ancient Uygur music and dance. Practically in the
paintings remain some inscriptions in the languages of Huihu, Han and Boluomi,
which are a precious recourse for research on the Uygur people, especially their
language and history.