《五台山图》

《五台山图》

五台山，属太行山脉的一支，位于今山西省境内。从唐代开始，被认定成文殊菩萨的道场，并产生了专门描绘五台山面貌的《五台山图》。中唐时期，该图传入敦煌，其中最为著名的即莫高窟五代第61窟西壁的巨幅《五台山图》。

这幅《五台山图》长13米、高3.6米，面积达46.8平方米。全图可分为三部分，上部主要绘菩萨赴会和各种“灵异”“化现”内容，中部主要表现五台及山中寺院、佛塔等圣迹，下部重点描绘出入五台山的两条交通要道。图中共有榜题195条。其中，还可以看到北印度罽宾国僧人佛陀波利巡礼五台山，以及山中的新罗送供使队伍，反映出当时五台山信仰在整个东亚地区的影响力。这幅巨作不仅是一幅佛教史迹画，也是一幅山水人物画，更是一幅翔实细致的历史地理地图，为佛教史、社会史、交通史、地理史和古代建筑史的研究都提供了图像资料。

Map of Mount Wutai

Wutai Mountain, part of the Taihang Mountain range, is located in present-day Shanxi Province. Since the Tang Dynasty, it has been recognized as the sacred site of Manjushri Bodhisattva, leading to the creation of specific depictions known as Mount Wutai maps. During the mid-Tang period, these maps arrived in Dunhuang, the most famous example being a large Map of Mount Wutai found on the western wall of Cave 61 in the Mogao Caves.

The map is 13 meters long and 3.6 meters high, covering an area of 46.8 square meters. The entire painting can be divided into three sections. The upper section primarily depicts Bodhisattvas attending a gathering and various "supernatural" and "transformation" scenes. The middle section focuses on the sacred sites of the mountain including temples and pagodas. The lower section highlights two main routes leading into and out of the mountain. The map contains a total of 195 labels. The painting also depicts Jibin monk Buddha-bhadra making a pilgrimage to Wutai Mountain, along with a procession from Silla (Korea) offering tribute, illustrating the influence of the mountain as a center of Buddhist faith at that time. The grand work is not only a depiction of Buddhist historical sites but also a landscape featuring figures, as well as a detailed, accurate historical geographic map. It serves as an important visual resource for the study of Buddhist history, social history, transportation history, geography, and ancient architecture.