In the cliffs 18 kilometers (11.2 miles)north of
Kashgar lies the Three Immortals Buddhist Caves. Hewn
from the cliff some 10 meters (32.8 feet) above the
riverbed, these caves can be dated back to the 2nd
or 3rd century, ranking as the earliest Buddhist caves
in western China.
With an entrance in rectangle shape, each cave has
two chambers. The front chambers are 4 meters in length
and width while the rear are half. No murals were
kept in the middle cave due to a reconstruction in
the Qing dynasty. In the left-hand cave, about 70
murals survived. At the top of this cave painted a
Buddha, whose cassock is painted in sapphire blue
and chocolate, which is very rare in the earlier Buddhist
murals.
The caves are difficult to reach because of the precipitous
cliff.
The caves are virtually inaccessible, especially at
high-water periods.
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