The Research On Caisson In The Tombs Of The Caowei-Xijin Dynasty And The Sixteen Kingdoms In Hexi Area

In traditional Chinese architecture,caisson are one of the most distinctive parts.For a long time,most of the research on Chinese caisson has been concentrated in the cave temples and the above-ground buildings after the Song and Yuan Dynasties.In fact,the caisson in the tombs also have important academic value,especially a group of caisson unearthed in the tombs of the Hexi area during the Caowei-Xijin Dynasty and the Sixteen kingdoms,which have a very important position in the Chinese caisson system.The Hexi area caisson of the Caowei-Xijin Dynasty and the Sixteen kingdoms were first affected by the caisson in the Han Dynasty,and there is a high similarity with the caisson in the Han Dynasty.Therefore,these caisson have obvious Chinese traditional features.At the same time,with the increasing influence of Buddhism in Hexi area,some Buddhist features have appeared in the caisson.During the Caowei and Xijin Dynasties,a large number of caisson were unearthed in the tombs of the Hexi area.However,under the combined effect of various reasons,the Hexi tombs and caisson gradually declined in Sixteen kingdoms.At the same time,the Hexi area began to build grottoes,and a large number of decorated caisson in the caves absorbed some elements of the caisson in the Hexi tombs.