Asia, East: Buddhist Remains and Cave-Temples in China

Buddhism is believed to have first reached China during the 1st century CE. Cave-temples, in particular, represent a distinct type of temple in China. When Buddhism was introduced and widely disseminated in China during the 3rd to 6th centuries CE, China was experiencing a period of political fragmentation in its history. As a result, the characteristics of cave-temples in terms of their forms and distribution also reflect this political and cultural context, as well as the varying attitudes and approaches toward the introduction of Buddhism in different regional societies. This entry is divided into four regions: Xinjiang, Northern Region, Southern Region, and Qinghai-Tibet. It provides a comprehensive summary of the development and characteristics of Buddhist remains (cave-temples) in each of these regions. Finally, a brief summary is provided regarding the interrelationships among the four regions.