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Carving of the Liangzhou Cave Temples

Type Event Region China Time 301–500

In the 4th–5th centuries, Liangzhou under Northern Liang and other regimes became a Silk Road hub where Buddhist cave temples such as the Liangzhou c…

Timeline

  1. 301–400Liangzhou · GansuNorthern Liang held Liangzhou, controlling the Hexi Corridor; Buddhism flourished as the Silk Road spread eastward, and local rulers and monks began selecting sites around Liangzhou to carve caves for worship and teaching.
  2. 401–500Liangzhou caves · LiangzhouAround the 5th century the Liangzhou caves were carved on a large scale; cave and niche forms and statue styles fused Western Regions and Central Plains elements, forming a Hexi cave art corridor with Tiandishan, Dunhuang, and other early caves.
  3. 401–500Hexi Corridor · GansuLiangzhou cave art spread along the Silk Road, influencing Buddhist statuary traditions in the Central Plains and the Korean Peninsula, becoming a key link in Chinese cave art history between Western Regions styles and Han Chinese aesthetic transformation.

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