The 12th stop of the Xinjiang tour in September 2024 is Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves.

After leaving the Kuche Palace, we walked to the southern end of the Duku Highway. The mountains on both sides of the road were dry and cement-colored, as if dust would fly if you blew on them. After a while, my throat felt dry and I kept drinking water. After turning around several mountains, we suddenly saw a bright oasis in front of us and arrived at our destination. Walking through the lush green birch forest, looking into the “eyes” on the tree trunks, it feels like they are smiling as well. What are they smiling at? At the end of the woods, in the center of the square where you go up the mountain to view the grottoes, stands a giant statue. Looking up at the statue of Kumarajiva Buddha, I feel a different kind of handsomeness and power. The Kizil Grottoes were first excavated at the end of the 3rd century, 300 years earlier than the Mogao Grottoes. They were gradually abandoned after the 8th century. There are a total of 251 caves, but only 6 are open to the public. Once inside the cave, there are only small pieces of murals, most of which have been damaged. The tour guide spared no effort to describe the grand scene of the past. We, the audience, can only rely on our imagination to infer the whole picture from the details [Facepalm]. It is said that it was later tragically destroyed and even stolen by foreigners. I feel particularly heavy. Walking out of the cave, overlooking the square at the foot of the mountain, there is only this small oasis around. Looking further ahead, there is the Muzati River. The mountains beside the river are still dry and gray. Not even a river can moisten this land [Scowl]? The statue of Kumarajiva Buddha and the "eyes" on the poplar trees are all gazing at this land. The rivers and dry hills, the oasis and the grottoes are contradictory yet unified, and magically coexist between heaven and earth.