On May 13, the Buddhist Research Center at Fo Guang University hosted an academic lecture on Buddhist art, featuring Dr. Chien Li-kuei, currently affiliated with the Taipei Culture Foundation, as the invited speaker. Her lecture, entitled “Celestial Palace Gateways: The Portal to the Pure Land in Mogao Cave 275 at Dunhuang,” explored the architectural and iconographic significance of Cave 275 at the Mogao Grottoes. Dr. Chien received her Ph.D. from the SOAS University of London, subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at University of Cambridge, and previously taught at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, reflecting her extensive academic background in Buddhist art history.

The lecture focused on the gate-shaped niche (que-form niche) of Cave 275, which dates to the Northern Liang period at the Mogao Caves. The sculptures within the cave display the early artistic style characterized by “thin robes clinging to the body,” indicating that the iconography had not yet undergone substantial Sinicization. Previous scholarship has largely concentrated on the image of Maitreya Bodhisattva enshrined within the niche, interpreting it primarily through the concept of a celestial palace. Dr. Chien, however, proposed a reverse historical reading, arguing that it was precisely the site’s underlying association with the celestial palace concept that shaped the present architectural form of the gate-shaped niche.

Dr. Chien then systematically traced the historical transformation of the que (gate tower) within Chinese cultural history. From the pre-Qin and Han periods onward, the que evolved from its original military functions—such as city-wall defense and surveillance—into a political symbol representing state authority and imperial prestige. During the Han and Northern and Southern Dynasties periods, with the rise of middle-ranking official classes, the que became increasingly incorporated into funerary art. Its symbolic meaning gradually shifted from the representation of political power to that of a spiritual “gateway of the soul” and a “heavenly gate” signifying the destination of the deceased spirit. Dr. Chien argued that these indigenous Chinese conceptions of heavenly gateways ultimately merged with Buddhist visualizations of the Pure Land, giving rise to the distinctive gate-shaped niche of Cave 275.

During the question-and-answer session, faculty members and students engaged in lively discussions concerning the iconographic placement of the Queen Mother of the West, regional patterns of transmission between the Chinese heartland and Gansu, and the role of tomb guardians—particularly the concept of the tingzhang—within Buddhist imagery. Dr. Chien emphasized that the iconography of Mogao Cave 275 should be understood as the product of dynamic interaction and hybridity between indigenous Chinese culture and Buddhist artistic traditions.

In closing, Dr. Chien also shared personal reflections on the challenges and rewards of conducting research in Buddhist art history. The lecture not only broadened participants’ understanding of the architectural forms of early Buddhist cave temples, but also inspired students to develop greater critical awareness and methodological sensitivity in the study of Buddhist art.