There are four caves from the Sui dynasty at Dunhuang designed around a central pillar which are classified into two types: first, caves 302 and 303, in which the central pillars are shaped like Mt. Sumeru to represent the Buddhas of the Three Periods( the past, present, and future) and Ten Directions and; second,caves 292 and 427, in which the central pillars do not have a niche in the front side and the Buddhas of the Three Periods are represented by three groups of statues in the front of the caves. Statues of the Buddhas of the Three Periods appeared early in Buddhist caves in China. In later Northern Dynasties, this theme was represented in the caves of Northern China by three niches in different side walls. Influenced by this practice,the central-pillared caves of the Sui dynasty at Dunhuang further highlight the theme of the Buddhas of the Three Periods and Ten Directions. The forms and decorative styles of these caves suggest that the design was influenced by Central Plain culture as well as Indian and Central Asian cultures.
