The Ajanta Caves are 30 (approximately) rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 CE in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state of India. The caves include paintings and rock-cut sculptures described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, particularly expressive paintings that present emotion through gesture, pose and form.
The Mogao Caves, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes or Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, form a system of 492 temples 25 km (16 mi) southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu province, China. The caves may also be known as the Dunhuang Caves; however, this term is also used as a collective term to include other Buddhist cave sites in and around the Dunhuang area, such as the Western Thousand Buddha Caves, Eastern Thousand Buddha Caves, Yulin Caves, and Five Temple Caves. The caves contain some of the finest examples of Buddhist art spanning a period of 1,000 years. The first caves were dug out in AD 366 as places of Buddhist meditation and worship. The Mogao Caves are the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes and, along with Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, are one of the three famous ancient Buddhist sculptural sites of China.
Lao Buddhist sculptures were created by the Lao people of Southeast Asia. They are typically made of bronze, although gold and silver images can also be found. The Vat Manorom is believed to be the oldest colossal Lao Buddhist sculpture. Today, the sculpture gardens of Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat provide a modern twist to the ancient tradition.
Vajrapāṇi is one of the earliest-appearing bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of Gautama Buddha and rose to symbolize the Buddha's power.
The Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves is a complex of Buddhist cave grottos dating from the 5th to 14th century between the cities of Turpan and Shanshan (Loulan) at the north-east of the Taklamakan Desert near the ancient ruins of Gaochang in the Mutou Valley, a gorge in the Flaming Mountains, China. They are high on the cliffs of the west Mutou Valley under the Flaming Mountains, and most of the surviving caves date from the West Uyghur kingdom around the 10th to 13th centuries.
The Badami cave temples are a complex of Hindu and Jain cave temples located in Badami, a town in the Bagalkot district in northern part of Karnataka, India. The caves are considered an example of Indian rock-cut architecture, especially Badami Chalukya architecture, which dates from the 6th century. Badami was previously known as Vataapi Badami, the capital of the early Chalukya dynasty, which ruled much of Karnataka from the 6th to the 8th century. Badami is situated on the west bank of a man-made lake ringed by an earthen wall with stone steps; it is surrounded on the north and south by forts built in later times.
Tham Pha, also known as Buddha Cave, is a cave in Khammouane Province, Laos. The karst limestone cave was only discovered in April 2004 by a local farmer who upon entering it found a treasure trove of 229 Buddha statues, estimated to be over 450 years old. It is believed that the Buddha statues were hidden to prevent them being looted by invading Haw peoples. The largest Buddha statue is seated at the main entrance. A stupa is located at the nearby Tham That cave.
Tham Kong Lo or Kong Lor Cave is a karst limestone cave in Phu Hin Bun National Park, in Khammouane Province, Laos. It is located roughly 130 kilometres (81 mi) north of Thakhek, on the Nam Hin Bun River, which flows into the cave. The karst formation is dramatic and the cave has been cited as a "one of Southeast Asia's geological wonders".
The Tham Sang Triangle refer to a group of four caves in close proximity, located roughly 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) north of Vang Vieng, Laos, to the northwest of the village of Ban Pakpo. The four caves are Tham Sang, Tham Hoi, Tham Loup, and Tham Nam. The name "Tham Sang" refers to the stalactites within them which are said to resemble elephants, a characteristic in particular of the Tham Sang cave. The entrance has a grey boulder on the right side with a red flower bush beyond that. Tham Hoi is considered the most sacred to locals, with a larger Buddha head in the entrance, whilst Tham Loup is noted for its stalactites. Tham Nam, meaning "water cave", is located roughly 400 metres (1,300 ft) south of Tham Hoi.
Tham Jang is a cave just to the southwest of Vang Vieng, Laos. Approached by a bridge over the Nam Song River and then a long flight of steps, a spring is located about 50 metres (160 ft) inside the cave. The cave was used as a bunker in the early 19th century during the Chinese-Ho invasion.
Vientiane Province is a province of Laos, located in the northwest of the country. As of 2015 the province had a total population of 419,090 people. Vientiane Province is a large province, covering an area of 15,927 square kilometres (6,149 sq mi) with 10 districts in mid north-western Laos. The province borders Luang Prabang Province to the north, Xiangkhouang Province to the northeast, Bolikhamxai Province to the east, Vientiane Prefecture and Thailand to the south, and Xaignabouli Province to the west. The principal towns are Vang Vieng and Muang Phôn-Hông. Several kilometres to the south of Vang Vieng is one of Laos's largest lakes, Nam Ngum. Much of this area, particularly the forests of the southern part, are under the Phou Khao Khouay National Bio-Diversity Conservation Area. The principal rivers flowing through the province are the Nam Song River, Nam Ngum River and the Nam Lik River.
Houaphanh province is a province of eastern Laos. As of 2015 it had a population of 289,393 people. Its capital lies at Sam Neua.
Khammouane or Khammouan is a province of Laos, located in the center of the country. Its capital lies at Thakhek.
Sainyabuli Province is a province in northwest Laos. Sainyabuli town is the capital of the province. Sainyabuli is the only Lao province that is completely west of the Mekong River.
Vientiane or Viengchan is a prefecture of Laos, located in the north-west of the country. The national capital, Vientiane, is located in the prefecture. The prefecture was created in 1989, when it was split off from Vientiane Province.
Luang Prabang is a province of Laos, located in the north of the country. Its capital of the same name, Luang Prabang, was the capital of Lane Xang Kingdom during the 13th to 16th centuries. It is listed since 1995 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for unique architectural, religious and cultural heritage, a blend of the rural and urban developments over several centuries, including the French colonial influences during the 19th and 20th centuries. The province has 12 districts, Luang Prabang, Xieng Ngeun, Nan, Pak Ou, Nambak, Ngoi, Pakseng, Phonxay, Chomphet, Viengkham and Phoukhouny. The Royal Palace, the national museum in the capital city, and the Phou Loei Protected Reserve are important sites. Notable temples in the province are the Wat Xieng Thong, Wat Wisunarat, Wat Sen, Wat Xieng Muan, and Wat Manorom. The Lao New Year is celebrated in April as The Bun Pi Mai.
Oudomxay is a province of Laos, located in the northwest of the country. The province capital is Muang Xai.
Phnom Sorsia is a Buddhist hill complex in Kampot Province, southern Cambodia. It contains Buddhist cultural features approached by a staircase and a complex of karst caves. One cave Rung Damrey Saa has a stalagmite resembling the head of an elephant; another has a bat colony. The gateway to the caves is marked by a pagoda, approximately 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from the main road.
The killing caves of Phnom Sampeau are a Khmer Rouge execution site on Phnom Sampeau, a hill 7 mi (11 km) southwest of Battambang in western Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge killed their victims on top of the cave at the rim of a daylight shaft or ceiling hole and then threw the dead body into the cave. Men and women were placed in separate caves and clothes in another. There are a number of caves at Phnom Sampeau that have traditionally served as Buddhist temples. Today there is a large glass memorial in the cave next to the skulls and bones and a golden reclining Buddha, that can be reached via a staircase. A memorial, assembled from cyclone fencing and chicken wire contains human bones at the base of the stairway.
The Sam Poh Tong Temple is a Chinese temple built within a limestone cave and is the oldest and the main cave temple in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia. The temple was built in a raw limestone cave in the mountains located about 5 km from the city centre and follows the Buddhist branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism.
