{"id":38,"date":"2024-04-15T18:05:53","date_gmt":"2024-04-15T18:05:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/?page_id=38"},"modified":"2024-04-29T21:17:49","modified_gmt":"2024-04-29T21:17:49","slug":"cave-249-the-western-wei","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/cave-249-the-western-wei\/","title":{"rendered":"Cave 249"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Cave 249 &#8211; The Western Wei<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Cave Temple<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Constructed during the Western Wei (535-557 CE), Cave 249 is in the palace hall style.<sup data-fn=\"70b78c2e-dd21-4199-85d3-3b8ab83389b5\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#70b78c2e-dd21-4199-85d3-3b8ab83389b5\" id=\"70b78c2e-dd21-4199-85d3-3b8ab83389b5-link\">1<\/a><\/sup> The west wall has an open niche with a Buddha statue elevated on a platform with two flanking bodhisattva statues. The wall murals depict the Thousand Buddhas, a common symbol found in many cave temples.<sup data-fn=\"ddf22f79-e542-45b9-bec7-80953bc7c9c3\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#ddf22f79-e542-45b9-bec7-80953bc7c9c3\" id=\"ddf22f79-e542-45b9-bec7-80953bc7c9c3-link\">2<\/a><\/sup> This cave\u2019s standout feature is its ceiling mural, which intertwines imagery from Taoism and traditional Chinese mythology with Buddhist imagery. Worshippers likely used this temple to pay homage and send their offerings.<sup data-fn=\"6a13c237-02a9-4115-8d1c-71a4f40596e8\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#6a13c237-02a9-4115-8d1c-71a4f40596e8\" id=\"6a13c237-02a9-4115-8d1c-71a4f40596e8-link\">3<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"558\" height=\"711\" src=\"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/image-3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40\" style=\"width:524px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/image-3.png 558w, https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/image-3-235x300.png 235w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 558px) 100vw, 558px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Cave 249\u2019s interior. Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/figure\/Mogao-Cave-249-Photo-Digital-Dunhuang_fig1_331970798\">Digital Dunhuang<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dunhuang: Mogao Cave 249 (\u6566\u714c: \u83ab\u9ad8\u7a9f 249)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/E4VeoOPt_-o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>A video tour of Cave 249. Audio available in Chinese only.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Taoist Imagery and Traditional Mythology: A Case Study in the Sinicization of Buddhism<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Intermingling with Buddhist imagery on Cave 249\u2019s walls are symbols alluding to another Chinese teaching \u2013 Taoism. Of the four sloping ceiling sections, the eastern and western slopes focus on Buddhist elements while the southern and northern slopes portray Taoist features.<sup data-fn=\"07ffb62d-5e73-42dd-8704-ee3619639c85\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#07ffb62d-5e73-42dd-8704-ee3619639c85\" id=\"07ffb62d-5e73-42dd-8704-ee3619639c85-link\">4<\/a><\/sup> The main deities of the northern and southern slopes are immortals riding in dragon- and phoenix-drawn vehicles, respectively. Many scholars believe these figures represent the Eastern Lord (Dongwanggong) and the Western Queen (Xiwangmu), central Taoist deities who embody yang and yin.<sup data-fn=\"4264e166-3c56-456f-9aee-a7b420615f4d\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#4264e166-3c56-456f-9aee-a7b420615f4d\" id=\"4264e166-3c56-456f-9aee-a7b420615f4d-link\">5<\/a><\/sup> Both the chariots of the Eastern Lord and the Western Queen are escorted by processions of winged fish, Kaiming (creatures with human heads and dragon bodies), and other celestial animals.<sup data-fn=\"c388c3ea-ae0a-4a0c-9097-369a9958618a\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#c388c3ea-ae0a-4a0c-9097-369a9958618a\" id=\"c388c3ea-ae0a-4a0c-9097-369a9958618a-link\">6<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"616\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/image-4.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-41\" style=\"width:598px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/image-4.png 616w, https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/image-4-300x195.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>A close-up of the Eastern Lord on the cave ceiling. Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dunhuang.ds.lib.uw.edu\/mogao-cave-249-western-wei-dynasty\/\">Dunhuang Caves on the Silk Road<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"703\" height=\"560\" src=\"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/image-12.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-98\" srcset=\"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/image-12.png 703w, https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/image-12-300x239.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 703px) 100vw, 703px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>The wind god on the wall of Cave 249. Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/silkroadjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/984\/2017\/09\/Dialogue-among-the-Civilizations.pdf\">Zhang Yuanlin<\/a>. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mural also incorporates other figures and symbols from traditional Chinese mythology and Taoism. The north, south, and east slopes depict respectively the 13-headed Heavenly Emperor, the 11-headed Earth Emperor, and the 9-headed Human Emperor from the novel <em>Shi Yi Ji<\/em>.<sup data-fn=\"53550c7a-9f73-43af-9e3d-2a4d66570f1f\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#53550c7a-9f73-43af-9e3d-2a4d66570f1f\" id=\"53550c7a-9f73-43af-9e3d-2a4d66570f1f-link\">7<\/a><\/sup> The west slope includes nature gods, such as the Thunder God and Lightning God. The nature gods pictured are explicitly traditional Chinese depictions, not Buddhist. For instance, the wind god is depicted as horned and beast-headed, resembling his form in traditional Chinese mythology and not any Buddhist deity.<sup data-fn=\"e4ef9075-b6bc-4eb6-9503-7e123c0651ab\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#e4ef9075-b6bc-4eb6-9503-7e123c0651ab\" id=\"e4ef9075-b6bc-4eb6-9503-7e123c0651ab-link\">8<\/a><\/sup> The four Taoist guardians of the cardinal directions (Phoenix of the South, Black Tortoise of the North, Blue Dragon of the East, White Tiger of the West) all feature on the walls corresponding with their direction.<sup data-fn=\"2e9fc948-b9e6-458c-bda9-08ccc0d199d7\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#2e9fc948-b9e6-458c-bda9-08ccc0d199d7\" id=\"2e9fc948-b9e6-458c-bda9-08ccc0d199d7-link\">9<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The incorporation of Taoist deities into this Buddhist temple reflects Buddhism\u2019s strategy of associating itself with Taoism to propagate in China. To entice potential worshippers, Buddhism had to adapt to its new environment and embrace the cultural symbolism and iconography of Taoism to familiarize its foreign nature. Taoism was incorporated easily due to similarities between the Buddhist Pure Land and Taoist Heaven and the ideals of quiet and inaction seen in both ideologies.<sup data-fn=\"c4e3df13-c4dc-410e-9d4d-4f29f74ad029\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#c4e3df13-c4dc-410e-9d4d-4f29f74ad029\" id=\"c4e3df13-c4dc-410e-9d4d-4f29f74ad029-link\">10<\/a><\/sup> The Pure Land is the ideal afterlife for Buddhists &#8211; a paradise ruled by the Amitabha Buddha and a promised land for the saved in their next reincarnation.<sup data-fn=\"8dd4ced9-9310-453a-b7e4-b60cd77f58c9\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#8dd4ced9-9310-453a-b7e4-b60cd77f58c9\" id=\"8dd4ced9-9310-453a-b7e4-b60cd77f58c9-link\">11<\/a><\/sup> Taoism is also a karmic religion promoting rebirth after death, with a Heaven ruled by the Jade Emperor.<sup data-fn=\"a3f2d535-2175-4dee-9860-337b1642e6bc\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#a3f2d535-2175-4dee-9860-337b1642e6bc\" id=\"a3f2d535-2175-4dee-9860-337b1642e6bc-link\">12<\/a><\/sup> Both religions feature a lofty spiritual goal &#8211; reaching Nirvana and achieving immortality, respectively. The Taoist idea of &#8220;wuwei&#8221; is similar to the Buddhist ideals of inaction as both emphasize following the patterns and ideals of their respective teachings.<sup data-fn=\"5dadd8e6-3f16-4c4a-a47f-74a0d7af3d39\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#5dadd8e6-3f16-4c4a-a47f-74a0d7af3d39\" id=\"5dadd8e6-3f16-4c4a-a47f-74a0d7af3d39-link\">13<\/a><\/sup> These similarities could be used to explain Taoism to local Chinese audiences in more digestible and accessible ways. By using the already established language and symbology of Taoism, Buddhism could more effectively communicate its values and attain followers in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"715\" height=\"487\" data-id=\"118\" src=\"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/feitian.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-118\" srcset=\"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/feitian.jpg 715w, https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/feitian-300x204.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 715px) 100vw, 715px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Closeup of a <em>Feitian <\/em>(sky spirit). Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/dance-at-dunhuang-part-two-the-case-for-the-feitian\">Global Buddhist Door<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"715\" height=\"482\" data-id=\"119\" src=\"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/kingofwestservant.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119\" srcset=\"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/kingofwestservant.jpg 715w, https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/kingofwestservant-300x202.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 715px) 100vw, 715px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Closeup of a servant of the Eastern Lord. Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/dance-at-dunhuang-part-two-the-case-for-the-feitian\">Global Buddhist Door<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"330\" height=\"440\" data-id=\"120\" src=\"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thundergod.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-120\" srcset=\"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thundergod.jpg 330w, https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thundergod-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 330px) 100vw, 330px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Closeup of the thunder god and a mythological beast. Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.buddhistdoor.net\/features\/dance-at-dunhuang-part-two-the-case-for-the-feitian\">Global Buddhist Door<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-3e41869c wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/\">Home<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/taoist-deities-dictionary\/\">Taoist Deities Dictionary<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/tester-page-2\/\">Explore Cave 138<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-footnotes\"><li id=\"70b78c2e-dd21-4199-85d3-3b8ab83389b5\">\u201cMogao Cave 249 (Western Wei Dynasty),\u201d Dunhuang Caves on the Silk Road, accessed April 4, 2024, https:\/\/www.dunhuang.ds.lib.uw.edu\/. <a href=\"#70b78c2e-dd21-4199-85d3-3b8ab83389b5-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 1\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"ddf22f79-e542-45b9-bec7-80953bc7c9c3\">Ibid. <a href=\"#ddf22f79-e542-45b9-bec7-80953bc7c9c3-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 2\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"6a13c237-02a9-4115-8d1c-71a4f40596e8\">Tan Chung and Kapila Vatsyayan, <em>Dunhuang Art: Through the Eyes of Duan Wenjie<\/em> (NewDelhi: Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, 1994). <a href=\"#6a13c237-02a9-4115-8d1c-71a4f40596e8-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 3\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"07ffb62d-5e73-42dd-8704-ee3619639c85\">\u201cMogao Cave 249 (Western Wei Dynasty),\u201d Dunhuang Caves on the Silk Road, accessed April 4, 2024, https:\/\/www.dunhuang.ds.lib.uw.edu\/. <a href=\"#07ffb62d-5e73-42dd-8704-ee3619639c85-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 4\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"4264e166-3c56-456f-9aee-a7b420615f4d\">Ibid. <a href=\"#4264e166-3c56-456f-9aee-a7b420615f4d-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 5\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"c388c3ea-ae0a-4a0c-9097-369a9958618a\">Tan Chung and Kapila Vatsyayan, <em>Dunhuang Art: Through the Eyes of Duan Wenjie<\/em> (NewDelhi: Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, 1994). <a href=\"#c388c3ea-ae0a-4a0c-9097-369a9958618a-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 6\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"53550c7a-9f73-43af-9e3d-2a4d66570f1f\">\u201cMogao Cave 249 (Western Wei Dynasty),\u201d Dunhuang Caves on the Silk Road, accessed April 4, 2024, https:\/\/www.dunhuang.ds.lib.uw.edu\/. <a href=\"#53550c7a-9f73-43af-9e3d-2a4d66570f1f-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 7\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"e4ef9075-b6bc-4eb6-9503-7e123c0651ab\">Yuanlin Zhang, \u201cDialogue Among the Civilizations: The Origin of the Three Guardian Deities\u2019 Images in Cave 285, Mogao Grottoes,\u201d 2009, 38. <a href=\"#e4ef9075-b6bc-4eb6-9503-7e123c0651ab-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 8\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"2e9fc948-b9e6-458c-bda9-08ccc0d199d7\">\u201cMogao Cave 249 (Western Wei Dynasty),\u201d Dunhuang Caves on the Silk Road, accessed April 4, 2024, https:\/\/www.dunhuang.ds.lib.uw.edu\/. <a href=\"#2e9fc948-b9e6-458c-bda9-08ccc0d199d7-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 9\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"c4e3df13-c4dc-410e-9d4d-4f29f74ad029\">Ibid. <a href=\"#c4e3df13-c4dc-410e-9d4d-4f29f74ad029-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 10\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"8dd4ced9-9310-453a-b7e4-b60cd77f58c9\">Anne Ning Feng, &#8220;Water, Ice, Lapis Lazuli: The Metamorphosis of Pure Land Art in Tang China,&#8221; (Ph.D. diss., University of Chicago, 2018).  <a href=\"#8dd4ced9-9310-453a-b7e4-b60cd77f58c9-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 11\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"a3f2d535-2175-4dee-9860-337b1642e6bc\">Judith A. Berling, &#8220;Taoism, or the Wa,.&#8221; Kenyon College, https:\/\/www2.kenyon.edu\/Depts\/Religion\/Fac\/Adler\/Reln270\/Berling-Taoism.htm. <a href=\"#a3f2d535-2175-4dee-9860-337b1642e6bc-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 12\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><li id=\"5dadd8e6-3f16-4c4a-a47f-74a0d7af3d39\">Matt Stefon, &#8220;Wuwei,&#8221; Encyclopedia Britannica, September 23, 2013, https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/wuwei-Chinese-philosophy. <a href=\"#5dadd8e6-3f16-4c4a-a47f-74a0d7af3d39-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 13\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><\/ol>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cave 249 &#8211; The Western Wei The Cave Temple Constructed during the Western Wei (535-557 CE), Cave 249 is in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":"[{\"content\":\"\u201cMogao Cave 249 (Western Wei Dynasty),\u201d Dunhuang Caves on the Silk Road, accessed April 4, 2024, https:\/\/www.dunhuang.ds.lib.uw.edu\/.\",\"id\":\"70b78c2e-dd21-4199-85d3-3b8ab83389b5\"},{\"content\":\"Ibid.\",\"id\":\"ddf22f79-e542-45b9-bec7-80953bc7c9c3\"},{\"content\":\"Tan Chung and Kapila Vatsyayan, <em>Dunhuang Art: Through the Eyes of Duan Wenjie<\/em> (NewDelhi: Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, 1994).\",\"id\":\"6a13c237-02a9-4115-8d1c-71a4f40596e8\"},{\"content\":\"\u201cMogao Cave 249 (Western Wei Dynasty),\u201d Dunhuang Caves on the Silk Road, accessed April 4, 2024, https:\/\/www.dunhuang.ds.lib.uw.edu\/.\",\"id\":\"07ffb62d-5e73-42dd-8704-ee3619639c85\"},{\"content\":\"Ibid.\",\"id\":\"4264e166-3c56-456f-9aee-a7b420615f4d\"},{\"content\":\"Tan Chung and Kapila Vatsyayan, <em>Dunhuang Art: Through the Eyes of Duan Wenjie<\/em> (NewDelhi: Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, 1994).\",\"id\":\"c388c3ea-ae0a-4a0c-9097-369a9958618a\"},{\"content\":\"\u201cMogao Cave 249 (Western Wei Dynasty),\u201d Dunhuang Caves on the Silk Road, accessed April 4, 2024, https:\/\/www.dunhuang.ds.lib.uw.edu\/.\",\"id\":\"53550c7a-9f73-43af-9e3d-2a4d66570f1f\"},{\"content\":\"Yuanlin Zhang, \u201cDialogue Among the Civilizations: The Origin of the Three Guardian Deities\u2019 Images in Cave 285, Mogao Grottoes,\u201d 2009, 38.\",\"id\":\"e4ef9075-b6bc-4eb6-9503-7e123c0651ab\"},{\"content\":\"\u201cMogao Cave 249 (Western Wei Dynasty),\u201d Dunhuang Caves on the Silk Road, accessed April 4, 2024, https:\/\/www.dunhuang.ds.lib.uw.edu\/.\",\"id\":\"2e9fc948-b9e6-458c-bda9-08ccc0d199d7\"},{\"content\":\"Ibid.\",\"id\":\"c4e3df13-c4dc-410e-9d4d-4f29f74ad029\"},{\"content\":\"Anne Ning Feng, \\\"Water, Ice, Lapis Lazuli: The Metamorphosis of Pure Land Art in Tang China,\\\" (Ph.D. diss., University of Chicago, 2018). \",\"id\":\"8dd4ced9-9310-453a-b7e4-b60cd77f58c9\"},{\"content\":\"Judith A. Berling, \\\"Taoism, or the Wa,.\\\" Kenyon College, https:\/\/www2.kenyon.edu\/Depts\/Religion\/Fac\/Adler\/Reln270\/Berling-Taoism.htm.\",\"id\":\"a3f2d535-2175-4dee-9860-337b1642e6bc\"},{\"content\":\"Matt Stefon, \\\"Wuwei,\\\" Encyclopedia Britannica, September 23, 2013, https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/wuwei-Chinese-philosophy.\",\"id\":\"5dadd8e6-3f16-4c4a-a47f-74a0d7af3d39\"}]"},"class_list":["post-38","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":316,"href":"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38\/revisions\/316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/asnst.hamiltonlits.org\/spr-24-208\/group4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}