From 2010 to 2011, a protective excavation to Tuyuq Grottoes has been conducted by Institute of Archaeology, CASS and other institutes. New findings include two chaitayas dating to an earlier period, many important remains in front of the caves, as well as a great deal of precious manuscript fragments. The tow chaityas, respectively located at the east and the northwest of the Tuyuq valley, have a geographical importance, and are considered to be largest and earliest caves in the region. A preliminary study reveals that they could be cut in the early 5th century. Tuyuq's early caves could be divided into several clusters each centering around a chaitya and attached with Buddhist quarter caves and meditation caves. A cluster probably equates a temple, following the arrangement taking the tower as its center. The mural motifs int the two chaityas could not be seen in the early Tuyuq caves. Taking into consideration the early cave murals, the Gaochang Buddhist images in the 5th century cover following motifs: 1. Preaching Buddhas with a Buddha and two Bodhisattvas; 2. The assemblage of Seven Buddhas, Buddhas of Three Periods and Thousand Buddha; 3. Maitreya's Ascension and Descent, Thousand Buddhas, and Four Heavenly Kings; 4. Buddhas of the Four Directions; 5. Jataka tales. These motifs are closely related with Buddha-dhyana-samadhisagara-sutra.（《觀佛三昧海經》） The new materials prove that the early cave at Tuyuq have close relations with Kucha Grottoes and early grottoes in Gansu province. The most important is that the Khotan's infulences could also be seen, which fully shows that Gaochang was a place where the Buddhist arts form the West Region and from the Central Plain crisscrossed.
