In an exclusive interview with Prof. Xiao Xiaoyong, head of the archaeological team at the Mo’er Temple site, insights were shared on why this site is considered a compelling testament to the transmission of Buddhism both eastward and westward.
**China News Service (CNS): Can you tell us about the historical significance of the Mo’er Temple site? What have been some of the key findings from recent archaeological excavations?**
**Prof. Xiao Xiaoyong:** The Mo’er Temple site is located approximately 33 kilometers northeast of Kashgar in Xinjiang, situated on a floodplain on the southern side of the ancient Matar Mountains. The site measures about 300 meters in length and 170 meters at its widest point, covering an area of about 40,000 square meters. To the west, a steep cliff drops down to an expansive floodplain, with a river flowing nearby to the south. The site has suffered significant erosion from the elements over time; aside from the two weathered pagodas, only a few remnants of walls and scattered pottery fragments remain.
From 2019 to 2023, with the approval of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, we have actively excavated the Mo’er Temple site in collaboration with the Xinjiang Cultural Heritage Archaeology Institute, yielding remarkable results. Between 2019 and 2022, we uncovered a large-scale architectural complex of the Buddhist temple, along with thousands of plaster fragments of Buddha statues and numerous biological samples, which allowed us to gain insight into the site’s layout, structure, and historical evolution. We categorize the primary relics into several types based on their forms, internal features, and artifacts found during excavations, including stupa bases, monk residences, Buddha halls, and kitchens, with the majority of artifacts consisting of varying sizes of plaster Buddha statue fragments.
From June 2 to October 1, 2023, archaeologists completed 121 days of fieldwork, resulting in an impressive collection of over 7,000 pottery fragments and 103 small items, alongside several groundbreaking discoveries.
**CNS: The Mo’er Temple site is one of the earliest known Buddhist sites in Xinjiang. What can you tell us about its historical rise and fall and its role in the transmission of Buddhism?**
**Prof. Xiao Xiaoyong:** The two remaining pagodas at Mo’er Temple—one round and one square—reflect the influence of Gandhara-style architecture. However, they are constructed from local sun-dried bricks, featuring a three-layer square base topped with a circular layer and unadorned with statues, indicating they have adapted to local conditions. We have also uncovered a large temple complex and have been able to outline the timeline of the site’s development, which can be divided into three distinct phases, each with unique characteristics.
The first phase, dating back to at least the mid-3rd century, features structures that reflect Indian and Central Asian styles, such as stupa-style reliquary pagodas and unique single-room monk residences found only in Kashgar, underlining the historical significance of Buddhism’s eastward transmission.
During the second phase, approximately from the 4th to the 6th centuries, additional structures emerged, including the square-shaped temple popular in the Tarim Basin, likely accompanied by kitchens and other buildings. This period saw a shift in local Buddhist practice from a focus on stupa worship to a center on the worship of Buddha images influenced by Gandhara, including discoveries such as a wooden figure with six toes, a characteristic noted among members of the ancient Shule royal family.
By the third phase, starting in the 7th century, the Mo’er Temple reached its zenith. Most earlier structures continued to be used or were modified, and a large Buddha hall was constructed adjacent to the eastern wall of the single-room monk residences.
This grand hall, uniquely structured and sizable, features two oversized Buddha statues that, despite retaining Gandhara characteristics, also display the fuller features typical of the Tang dynasty, suggesting influence from western Buddhist traditions.
Moreover, among the artifacts discovered were numerous round copper coins, along with artifacts reflecting the integration of Central Plains culture into the daily lives and economic activities within the temple.
**CNS: Given that Kashgar is one of the earliest regions in China to receive Buddhism and served as a crucial center for ancient western Buddhism, what unique significance does it hold in the overall context of Buddhist transmission to China?**
**Prof. Xiao Xiaoyong:** Historically known as Shule, Kashgar sits at the crossroads of two routes of the Silk Road, geographically close to Gandhara. It became an essential stop for Buddhism’s eastward transmission. During the Han and Tang dynasties, Buddhism flourished here. At the time of Tang monk Xuanzang’s travels, there were hundreds of temples and thousands of monks in the region, marking it as a major Buddhist center in the western regions. Before the 10th century, Buddhism was the predominant religion in the Kashgar area, making Shule a significant location in the history of Chinese Buddhism.
Our archaeological findings indicate that after Buddhism arrived in Xinjiang, it quickly established a cultural dissemination center in Kashgar that influenced further areas, including Kuqa (modern-day Kucha) and beyond, eventually becoming the mainstream religious and cultural form in the early oasis city-states such as Shule and Kuqa. Buddhism then continued to spread along the Hexi Corridor and into the Central Plains, gradually blending with traditional Chinese culture in a bidirectional interaction.
**CNS: Xinjiang has always been a place of religious diversity and cultural richness. How does the Mo’er Temple site serve as a powerful testament to the pluralistic and inclusive nature of Chinese civilization?**
**Prof. Xiao Xiaoyong:** The archaeological work at the Mo’er Temple site is a significant discovery in the context of Silk Road Buddhist archaeology, providing invaluable primary materials for studying cultural exchanges along the Silk Road, Buddhist dissemination, the evolution of Buddhist temple architecture, and beliefs in Xinjiang, particularly in Kashgar, during the Han and Tang periods. Additionally, it reflects the influence of Central Plains culture on the region.
Following Buddhism’s arrival, Xinjiang also encountered Islamic and Christian cultures, leaving behind a rich historical and cultural legacy. The archaeological outcomes from the Mo’er Temple unveil the process of Buddhism’s spread and prevalence in ancient Xinjiang, corroborating the historical reality that this region has always been a melting pot of ethnicities, cultures, and religions, exemplifying the pluralistic and inclusive characteristics of Chinese civilization.
