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The catalogue
14 places to sift through. Narrow by kind, country, period or how firmly each one is established — contested and pseudoarchaeological claims are labelled here, never hidden.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Eastern Wei–Northern Qi–Tang (Six Dynasties to Tang) · Eastern Wei Xianbei sinicized; Tang Shanxi Buddhist
Shanxi 25 caves 534–907: south peak Cave 11 Maitreya assembly with thin-line and Japanese-return Bodhisattva.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Sixteen Kingdoms Northern Liang to Qing (400 CE–1910) · Hexi Corridor Buddhist (Tibetan, Yugur, Sogdian trader, Han)
Hexi 70 caves 400–1200 with Thirty-Three Heavens hollow-mountain labyrinth and horse hoof print on Qilian 2600 m.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Northern Wei to Song (Six Dynasties to Tang) · Northern Wei Tuoba Sinicized Buddhist; Tang Chinese
Northern Wei 5 caves 774 icons 503–520 with emperor–empress procession as Bodhisattva and Tang thousand Buddhas.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Northern Wei to Tang (Northern Dynasties 386–581 to Tang) · Northern Wei Tuoba Xianbei then Sui–Tang Han Chinese Buddhist; Guyuan Silk Road garrison
Ningxia 162 caves 5th–9th c. with 20.6-m Dafo Tang colossus tower and Northern Wei apsaras, Liupan Silk gate.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Kucha–Tocharian to Tang–Uyghur (5th–11th c.) · Tocharian Kuchan Buddhist (Sarvastivada Dharmaguptaka) later Uyghur Mahayana
Kucha 112 caves 450–1100 with diamond vault Maitreya and pipa musicians on Weigan gorge, Kizil's sister.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Sixteen Kingdoms to Ming · Western Qin, Northern Wei, Western Xia, Tibetan, Ming
Liujia Gorge 27-m Tang Maitreya and 420 CE Western Qin mandala caves above Yellow River reservoir, 183 caves.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Sixteen Kingdoms to Yuan (420 – 1368 CE) · Northern Liang Han, Tuyuhun Xianbei, Tibetan, Uyghur, Western Xia Tangut, Mongol
Hexi cliff 31 conglomerate caves with 33 Heavens Pagoda and Gesar hoof legend, 420 CE–Yuan.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Sixteen Kingdoms to Yuan · Northern Liang, Tibetan, Uyghur, Western Xia Tangut, Mongol
Sunan east conglomerate cliffs 12 caves with 33 Heavens 7-storey pagoda and pillar hall, 420 CE–Yuan.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Northern Dynasties to Tang (550 – 907 CE) · Northern Qi, Sui, Tang
Handan limestone 38 Northern Qi caves with 30-cm undercut floating drape 550–577 CE.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Northern Dynasties to Tang · Northern Qi Xianbei-Han Buddhist
Handan south hill 3 limestone caves with 550 CE Amitabha Western Paradise (Freer) and central pillar, Northern Qi.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Northern Wei to Song · Northern Wei, Sui, Tang cosmopolitan
Luoyang west bank core with Guyang 493 earliest cave 800 inscriptions and Binyang pagoda, Northern Wei–Tang.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Eastern Wei to Tang · Han Chinese Buddhist, Northern Dynasties, Tang cosmopolitan
Taiyuan south peak 13 caves with Tang Manshan Pavilion Maitreya 4 m and stolen apsaras digital-reunion, 534–907 CE.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Northern Dynasties to Tang (550 – 907 CE) · Northern Qi, Sui, Tang (central Shanxi Buddhist)
Taiyuan 25 caves with Northern Qi wet-drape bodhisattvas 550–907 CE.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Northern Wei (Northern Dynasties) · Tuoba Xianbei-Han Buddhist imperial
Yungang western annex 5 caves with Cave 12 music pavilion and 10k-buddha niches, 453–494 Northern Wei Tanyao.
