唐西州時期=Xizhou period in the Tang dynasty; 寧戎窟寺=Ningrong Cave Temple; 石窟寺功能=function of the cave temple; 寺院營造=construction of the monastery; 寺院布局=layout of the monastery
Focusing on the Zhenyuan Sixth-Year Cave Construction Inscriptions preserved in the Turpan Museum, this paper first presents a re-designation and transcription of the inscriptions carved in the Ningrong Monastery during its construction in the Tang dynasty. Following a clarification of the chronological sequence of the various inscriptions, an analysis on the functional relation between the cave monastery and the monastery proper is conducted by combining the inscriptions with maps and information on the overall monastery site.The conclusion introduces a preliminary investigation on the layout and the construction of the monastery based on an integration of archaeological, inscriptional, and documental sources from the pre-Uighur period in Bezeklik.
