Three Immortals Buddhist Caves

The Three Immortals Buddhist Caves are in the northern part of Kashgar City. Having been carved during the Eastern Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD), these caves are the oldest Buddhist fresco caves in the western region of China, and they are well-preserved. It is about 13 meters (about 17 yards) down the bottom of the cliff and about 8 meters (about 10 yards) from the cliff top. The cliff face is vertical and so smooth that no plants grow on it. It is impossible for people to reach without the aid of climbing equipment.

               

Among the three caves, the middle cave is the biggest, with a height of 2 meters (about 6 feet) and a width of 1.5 meters (about 5 feet). There is only an unfinished, headless Buddha statue in the back room of the middle cave. The west cave is still in its virgin state because it was unfinished at the beginning of the cutting. There is nothing in this cave.

There are various kinds of Buddhist paintings covering the walls of the front room of the east cave. The standing Buddha statue in the back room is life-like, vivid and elegant. The upper part of this Buddha's body is naked. His right hand is parallel with his waist, while his left hand is lying along his leg naturally. The most amazing about this statue is that there are three kinds of colors, green, red and blue interwoven in his lower part. It is very rare to see Buddha cave paintings in China. The entire cave is evidence of the fertile imagination and lofty skills of the ancient Chinese people.

There is a legend on cutting the pearl of Buddhism art, Three Immortals Buddhist Caves. Long time ago, a King had a little pretty princess who was very weak. One day, a fortune-teller told the King that if the princess was not stung by bees in 100 days, she would escape from the disaster. But in such a place, full of fruits, how can the little girl avoid bees? Afterwards, they decided to cut a cave on the mountain. In order to make the princess comfortable, the workmen painted on the wall and decorated them like a palace. Unfortunately, the princess was stung in the 99th day when she cried for grapes even though the grapes were checked many times. The princess died, but the carvings and paintings were left forever.

The legend also adds some mysterious color and attracts people here from far away. But as it is a dangerous place for people to reach; most of them only look from a distance.

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