Body as Echoes: Cyber Archiving of Buddhist Deities in the Cave Temples of China

Abstract

In this on-going project entitled “Body As Echoes” (BAE), literature review, field research, and interviews of the practitioners are utilized to examine the iconography, conservation and digital heritage imaging of Buddhist deities in the cave-temple complexes of China. Archives, image sequences, point cloud visualizations, 3D models and web-based interactive navigations are accumulated from the various cave-temple complexes in China (Dazu Rock Carvings, Maijishan cliff grottos, Huang Ze Temple, Thousand-Buddha Cliff, Dun Huang Cave paintings) to conduct the researches.The intangible aspect of the project includes the culturalmeaning, interconnections between the depicted deities, accentuation of the dynamism of time and change, and the new media narrative in the digital space nowadays. Buddhism and its path from India, China to Japan symbolize the dissemination of intercultural activities along the Silk Road. Different geo-locations in China, on the other hand, are connected by cave art, religion, and culture. The existence and preservation of cultural heritage transcend the echoes of the digital humanities.