Pieces of History, Evidence of Exchanges

By Staff Reporters

The ruins of the Mo'er Temple in Kashi city in Xinjiang stand witness to nearly 900 years of Buddhist history. Once part of the ancient Shule city when Xinjiang was known as the Western Regions, this earthen temple complex thrived from the first to the early 10th century, making it the oldest and westernmost well-preserved large-scale Buddhist site of its kind ever discovered in China.

A distant view of the Mo'er Temple site in Kashi city, Xinjiang. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

Since 2019, a joint team from Minzu University of China and the Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology has been excavating at the site. What began as a cautious test dig around the temple's two iconic towers quickly turned into one of the most significant archaeological breakthroughs in recent years.

Within just two weeks, fragments of plaster Buddhist statues began emerging from the soil. Over time, the team uncovered a dense complex of 18 structures with 62 rooms, including pagoda foundations, corridor-style halls, lecture rooms, kitchens and rectangular prayer halls.

More than 30,000 artifacts were recovered, such as copper coins and silk textiles, offering rare insights into the spiritual and daily lives of the monks who once lived here.

"We've unearthed over 10,000 fragments of Buddhist statues," said Professor Xiao Xiaoyong of Minzu University of China, who is leading the excavation. "These statues vary greatly in size, from life-sized figures to small figurines just centimeters tall, and reflect the evolution of Buddhism as it traveled from South Asia into China and gradually took on local characteristics."

The facial features, expressions, hairstyles and clothing details of the statues reveal a process of cultural integration, adaptation and innovation. They tell a story of harmonious blending, evidence of how Buddhism became sinicized over centuries.

One small discovery has major historical implications: a piece of mud tile commonly used in high-status buildings during China's Tang Dynasty (618–907).

Historical records mention the construction of a grand temple called the Dayun Temple in Shule during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian. "This tile suggests the Mo'er Temple could have been a state-sponsored religious site," Xiao said. "It reflects not only religious diversity in Xinjiang but also the central government's active role in managing religious affairs and maintaining cultural order in the region."

Modern scientific methods have deepened understanding of the site. Radiocarbon dating confirms that the earliest structures date back to the first century, evidence that Buddhism reached this part of China far earlier than previously documented. Interdisciplinary studies, including pollen analysis, residue testing, and micro-archaeological techniques, have reconstructed the ancient environment and monastic life.

For example, pollen data show a shift from a wetter climate during the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-220 A.D.) to increasing aridity after the Tang, while food residues reveal what the monks ate, providing a vivid picture of their daily routines.

The temple is just one chapter in the broader narrative revealed by decades of archaeological work in Xinjiang. Recent discoveries across the region continue to reshape our understanding of China's deep historical roots and cultural interconnectedness.

At the Tongtian Cave site in Altay in northern Xinjiang, archaeologists found evidence of human activity dating back 40,000 to 50,000 years.

They uncovered wheat from West Asia and millet from northern China, both over 5,000 years old. "This suggests an ancient 'grassland corridor' of exchange between East and West long before the Silk Road," said Yu Jianjun, the project's lead researcher.

"Xinjiang's archaeological finds clearly show that the region has been an inseparable part of Chinese territory since ancient times," said Li Wenyi, director of the Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology. "It has always been home to multiple ethnic groups, cultures, and religions living side by side. These discoveries enrich our understanding of a unified, multi-ethnic Chinese civilization and strengthen the shared spiritual foundation of the Chinese nation."