On the morning of December 1, 2025, Liu Tao, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Fine Arts, Capital Normal University, delivered a lecture titled “Images and Styles of the Murals in the Kucha Caves” as part of the An-Lai Lecture Series. This event was chaired by Deputy Dean Wang Jiangpeng.

In his lecture, Professor Liu provided a systematic overview of the artistic evolution and research trajectory of the Kucha caves, a major cultural heritage site along the northern Silk Road, comprising over 800 extant caves and reflecting rich intercultural exchanges between East and West. He examined the stylistic transformations of mural art across different periods. Early “Kucha-style” murals, created prior to the Tang dynasty, are characterized by distinctive “Iron-wire and Silk-thread Style” techniques and the central-pillar cave structure. With the introduction of Han Chinese Buddhist art during the Tang dynasty, new stylistic elements and narrative themes—such as sutra illustrations—emerged. During the Uyghur period, the murals displayed increasingly diverse and integrated artistic features. Drawing on representative sites such as Kizil and Kumtura grottoes, Professor Liu illustrated the development of mural themes, spatial forms, and painting techniques.

The lecture also reviewed the historiography of Kucha studies, from early 20th-century Western expeditions to the development of Chinese archaeological research and recent systematic work by dedicated research institutes. Professor Liu emphasized the need for interdisciplinary approaches combining art history and archaeology to further deepen the interpretation of Kucha caves within the context of cross-cultural exchange.

The lecture provided attendees with a comprehensive framework for understanding Kucha art.

Following the lecture, Professor Liu Tao engaged in a discussion with the faculty and students in attendance and provided detailed answers to a number of questions.