Abstract

The Mogao Caves or Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, one of the four largest Buddhist cave complexes in China, occupies a very important position in the history of Buddhist Art. Among the Mogao Grottoes, the statue style and cavern layout of the caves made during the Northern Zhou Dynasty（557-581）have two significant features in comparison with those made before the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Firstly, the elegant skeleton and delicate features of the Western Wei style（535-557）were displaced by the style of stronger and fuller bodies with rotund faces.

Secondly, the Thousand-Buddha-images was enlarged, and the paintings of Buddha legends, Jataka stories etc., which had been originally placed at the important spots i.e. the middle of the wall, were moved to the secondary position, ie., at the top of the caves.

In order to explain these features, we have to clarify the features of Buddhist arts in Chang'an, the capital city of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. As of now, our understanding of them is still very inadequate.

This research on Chang'an statue first tries to address the artistic features, reasons and time of formation of Chang'an statue, and their influences and so forth. With regard to these problems I shall examine the problem of the historical position of Buddhist art in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, i.e., whether it was, as senior scholars said, influenced by the Buddhist art in the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi Dynasties, and whether these influences were brought to the Sui and Tang Dynasties Or were its features created in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, which then influenced the statue style of the Sui and Tang Dynasties? Mr. Chen Yinke held a“negative” attitude toward the national systems of the Northern Zhou Dynasty in his monograph on the Origin of the Sui and Tang national systems, and pointed out that the national systems of the Northern Zhou Dynasty were a kind of transitional systems for a temporary need, but the national systems of the Sui and Tang Dynasties inherited the systems of the Southern Dynasty and Northern Qi Dynasty. His conclusion also affects the understanding of scholars of Buddhist art history in the Northern Zhou Dynasty. In addition, scholars ignored the study of Chang'an due to the less unearthed Chang'an statues of the Northern Zhou Dynasty as a result that there is a missing link of the research of Buddhist art dissemination in the later Southern and Northern Dynasties that affects researchers' judgment. Dunhuang was connected to Central Asia, gateway of intercourse with foreign countries, was part of the Northern Zhou territory.

The Northern Zhou Caves among the Mogao Grottoes are another focus of my studies. The changes in wall painting layout in the Northern Zhou Caves reflect the directional changes of the spread of Buddhist art in the later Northern Dynasty. It signified the maturation of Buddhism in central China, and its subsequent spread in the region spread. The northeast section of the Silk Road plays a very important role in the art dissemination from east to west.

Key Words: The Northern Zhou Dynasty; Chang'an Statue; Zheng Fashi; Mogao Grottoes; Xumishan Grottoes