佛圖澄=Fo Tucheng; 金銅佛=gilt bronze Buddha statues; 涼州石窟=Liangzhou caves; 北魏太武帝滅法=suppression of Buddhism in the reign of Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei dynasty; 中心塔柱=central pillar
The history of the Sixteen Kingdoms period is traditionally divided into two phases by the Battle of Feishui, a division that corresponds to the Buddhist art of this period as well. In the first phase that lasted for one century, Buddhism was spread from the upper to the lower classes by the nationally recognized master of studies Fo Tucheng in the Later Zhao dynasty, a social change which was accompanied artistically by the widespread casting of gilt bronze Buddha statues throughout northern China. After the Battle of Feishui, the Later Qin, the Western Qin, and the Northern Liang rose to power and building caves and making statues became very popular Buddhist practices, which were accompanied by the new artistic form of large-scale wall paintings. The cave structures people today are most familiar with include the Liangzhou modes and the Yungang modes: the former, being an abstract concept, inspired research on Northern Liang Buddhist art, while the latter refers to the Northern Wei caves built in the second and third historical phases at Yungang. The spread of Buddhist teachings and art was interrupted each time dynastic power changed hands, but many transitional periods left behind fascinating and unique archaeological traces, sometimes even changing the mode in which future art was to be created.
