On May 13, 2026, the Center for Buddhist Studies at Fo Guang University hosted a lecture in its Buddhist Art Lecture Series, featuring Dr. Chien, Li-kuei, currently affiliated with the Taipei Culture Foundation. Her lecture, titled “Heavenly Palaces Above: The Gateway to the Pure Land in Dunhuang Mogao Cave 275,” examined the architectural and religious significance of the niche structure in Cave 275 at Dunhuang. Dr. Chien received her Ph.D. from SOAS University of London, later conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge, and previously worked at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, bringing extensive expertise in Buddhist art history and visual culture.
The lecture focused on the que-shaped niche (quexingkan) in Cave 275, dating to the Northern Liang period. The sculptures in this cave preserve an early artistic style characterized by thin robes closely adhering to the body, reflecting a stage prior to the deep Sinicization of Buddhist imagery in China. Previous scholarship has largely concentrated on the central image of Maitreya Bodhisattva within the niche, interpreting it primarily through the concept of a heavenly palace. Dr. Chien, however, proposed a reverse historical approach, arguing that it was precisely the underlying concept of the heavenly palace that gave rise to the external form of the “que-shaped niche” seen today.
Dr. Chien then traced the historical development of the que structure in Chinese culture. Originating in the pre-Qin and Han periods as part of city walls with military functions such as defense and surveillance, the que gradually evolved into a political symbol representing imperial authority and state prestige. During the Han and Northern and Southern Dynasties, with the rise of the mid-level official class, que forms became increasingly incorporated into tomb art, shifting from symbols of political power to representations of the “gate of the soul” and the “gate of heaven,” signifying the destination of the deceased spirit.
According to Dr. Chien, this indigenous Chinese conception of the heavenly gate eventually merged with Buddhist visualizations of the Pure Land, resulting in the distinctive architectural form of the que-shaped niche in Cave 275. The lecture thus demonstrated how Buddhist art in Dunhuang emerged through dynamic interactions between Chinese funerary symbolism and Buddhist religious imagery.
According to Dr. Chien, this indigenous Chinese conception of the heavenly gate eventually merged with Buddhist visualizations of the Pure Land, resulting in the distinctive architectural form of the que-shaped niche in Cave 275. The lecture thus demonstrated how Buddhist art in Dunhuang emerged through dynamic interactions between Chinese funerary symbolism and Buddhist religious imagery.
During the concluding discussion session, students and faculty engaged in lively exchanges on topics including the placement of Queen Mother of the West imagery, the regional transmission of artistic motifs between the Central Plains and Gansu, and the role of tomb guardians such as the tingzhang in Buddhist visual culture. Dr. Chien emphasized that the imagery of Mogao Cave 275 should be understood as the product of cultural interaction and artistic synthesis between indigenous Chinese traditions and Buddhist art. At the end of the lecture, Dr. Chien also shared reflections on the challenges and rewards of conducting research in Buddhist art history. The event not only broadened participants’ understanding of early Buddhist cave architecture, but also inspired students to develop greater critical awareness and methodological sensitivity in the study of Buddhist art.
