The Enlightenment and Paradigm Investigation of Qiuci Murals

Chuying Lai

doi:10.70088/38dse130

Authors

Chuying Lai Philippine Christian University, Manila, Philippines Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70088/38dse130

Keywords:

art education, cultural heritage education, Qiuci murals, Silk Road cultural exchange

Abstract

The Qiuci murals, created in an important cultural center along the ancient Silk Road, embody visual culture and sustained interaction among Eastern and Western artistic traditions. However, their educational functions and underlying artistic paradigm remain insufficiently examined as an integrated field of inquiry. This study analyzed the artistic characteristics, cultural meanings, historical influences, and contemporary value of Qiuci murals. A multimethod research design combined a five-point Likert-scale survey involving 513 respondents with literature research, image analysis, cross-cultural comparison, and cultural interpretation. Survey findings indicated generally favorable and broadly consistent perceptions of the murals ‘cognitive, artistic, and social significance across age, sex, educational, and occupational groups. Historical and visual analyses demonstrated that the murals incorporated Indian, Persian, Central Asian, and Chinese influences while developing a distinct local paradigm expressed through color contrasts, diamond-grid compositions, figure modeling, narrative sequencing, and iconography. The study concludes that Qiuci murals should be understood not only as historical artworks but also as pedagogical and cultural heritage resources. Their continued relevance requires interdisciplinary scholarship, contextual interpretation, digital documentation, conservation, and integration into art and cultural education. The findings support the use of Qiuci mural heritage in intercultural learning and the transmission of Silk Road cultural history.

References

S. S. Lee, “Recent publications on the art and archaeology of Kucha: A review article,” Archives of Asian Art, vol. 68, no. 2, pp. 215–232, 2018.

G. Vignato, “Archaeological Survey of Kizil: Its Groups of Caves, Districts, Chronology and Buddhist Schools,” East and West, vol. 56, no. 4, pp. 359–416, 2006.

M. M. Rhie, Early Buddhist Art of China and Central Asia, Volume 3: The Western Ch'in in Kansu in the Sixteen Kingdoms Period and Inter-relationships with the Buddhist Art of Gandhāra. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2010.

M. M. Rhie, “Early Buddhist Art of Kucha and Karashahr,” in Early Buddhist Art of China and Central Asia, Volume 2: The Eastern Chin and Sixteen Kingdoms Period in China and Tumshuk, Kucha and Karashahr in Central Asia. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2002.

C. Guo, “Analysis of the color of decorative patterns in the murals of the Qiuci Grottoes,” Fashion Color, no. 4, 2023.

Q. Liu, “Formation and development of the regional artistic characteristics of tree images in the grotto murals of ancient Qiuci,” Art Exploration, vol. 34, no. 2, 2020.

L. Yang and B. Feng, “Analysis of Central Plains artistic characteristics in the Kizil murals,” Art Education, no. 1, 2023.

Z.-Z. Liu, “On the classification of cave types in Qiuci,” Identification and Appreciation of Cultural Relics, no. 19, 2024.

Y. Man, “Rethinking the principal statue on the front wall of the main chamber in the Kizil Grottoes,” Journal of Nanjing Institute of Fine Arts: Fine Arts and Design, no. 4, 2021.

X. Qi, “The form and significance of royal-family figures in the Qiuci Grottoes: A case study of the tiptoe posture,” Studies of Xixia, no. 2, 2023.

P. S. Ren and F. Guo, “Shrub tussock: An addendum to ancient Qiuci plant patterns,” Journal of Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, no. 5, 2021.

J. Shi, “Ethnic-minority literature unearthed along the Silk Road and cultural exchange between East and West,” Dunhuang Studies, no. 5, 2020.

F. Cai, “A case study on the relationship between Gandhara sculpture art and folk literature,” M.S. thesis, Peking University, 2012.

F. Karenin, Filigenzi, and Olivelli, Exploration of Gandhara art. Shanghai, China: Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House, 2015.

Z. Zhou, L. Shen, C. Li, N. Wang, X. Chen, J. Yang, and H. Zhang, “Investigation of gilding materials and techniques in wall paintings of Kizil Grottoes,” Microchem. J., vol. 154, Art. no. 104548, 2020.

B. Li, “Kizil Grottoes as witnesses to the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations along the Silk Road,” Appreciation and Identification of Cultural Relics, no. 15, 2024.

Y. Wei and B. Wang, “The origin and influence of Qiuci culture,” Famous Works by Famous Artists, no. 34, 2024.

H. Gao, “A study on the Jataka stories of Chinese Buddhism,” Ph.D. dissertation, Lanzhou University, 2015.

G. Jin, “Study on Jataka murals in the Kizil Grottoes,” M.S. thesis, Nanjing University of the Arts, 2004.

L. Wang, “From text to image: An investigation of the image-narrative patterns of Jataka stories in India, Kizil, and the Dunhuang Grottoes — The stories of King Shibi, the six-tusked elephant, and the rabbit,” Qilu Art Garden, no. 4, pp. 62–71, 2017.

B. Yang, “Narrative art in images of karmic stories and the Buddha's biography in the Qiuci Grottoes: Characters, spaces, and concealed details,” Art Design Research, no. 2, pp. 10–15, 2020.

X. Huo, “Study on the mural of the 'Buddha suffering nine offenses' in the Qiuci Grottoes and related issues,” Dunhuang Studies, no. 6, pp. 79–88, 2006.

M. Zin, “Some details from the representations of the parinirvāṇa cycle in the art of Gandhāra and Kucha: The iconography of the wandering ascetics (Parivrājaka, Nirgrantha and Ājīvika),” Art of the Orient, vol. 7, pp. 137–170, 2018.

V. Dehejia, "On modes of visual narration in early Buddhist art," Art Bull., vol. 72, no. 3, pp. 374–392, 1990.

J. Zhang, “A study of Nirvana imagery in the Kizil Grottoes,” M.S. thesis, Jiangnan University, 2022.

Q. Yan, “Difficulties and key points in the digitization of murals in the Qiuci Grottoes,” Printing Technology, no. 11, 2019.

W. Cheng, “Research on the innovative application of floral elements from Qiuci murals in costume design,” M.S. thesis, Shihezi University, 2022.

Mullinc, “Application of traditional patterns in the design of cultural and creative products from the Qiuci Grottoes: A case study of scrolling-grass patterns,” Popular Literature, no. 14, 2022.

A. F. Howard and G. Vignato, Archaeological and Visual Sources of Meditation in the Ancient Monasteries of Kuča. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2015.

Q. Yang and Y. Bo, “Music and dance art depicted in the Buddhist murals of the Qiuci Grottoes,” Religion in China, no. 4, 2024.

P. S. Ren, “A pictorial biography of the Buddha's mother: Lady Maya in the Kizil Grotto murals,” Art Exploration, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. 55–74, 2021.