Yulin Cave 3

Yulin Cave 3 was constructed in Western Xia Dynasty (1036--1227AD). This cave has a vaulted ceiling and a central altar. The Vajradhatu mandala on the ceiling consists of the central image Vairocana and four Buddhas : Aksobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha and Amoghasiddhi. Outside the circle are images of Bodhisauvas and fierce rajas, law-wheels, a pair of deer and dhvajas.
On each of the east, north and south walls are three Mandalas or Pure Land illustrations. On the north side of east wall is a thousand-armed and thousand-eyed Avalokitesvara mandalas. The fifty-one-faced Avalokitesvara mandala on the south side is most special, in which the various treasures and farm tools and different farming scenes are important materials for studying the social life in Western Xia period.
The well preserved Vajradhatu and Garbhadhatu Mandalas on the west side of south wall and north walls, which belong to pure Esoteric Buddhism, are painted completely based on the modes of Esoteric Buddhism and are very rare not only at Dunhuang but also in Chinese Buddhist paintings. On both sides of the west wall is the illustration of the magnificent processions of Manjusri and Samantabhadra. To the left side of the illustration of Manjusri is also a picture of Xuanzang going on a pilgrimage for Buddhist scriptures. Similar pictures are also seen in caves 2 and 29 at the Yulin Grottoes and cave 2 at the Eastern Thousand-Buddha Grottoes.