Pastoral Stone Carvings

Pastoral Stone Carvings

The Pastoral Stone Carvings are a cultural relic protection unit of Liaoning Province.

The Pastoral Stone Carvings from the Liao Dynasty are located on the western cliff of the former site of Shifo Temple, south of Tianyuanzi Village, Guanyinge Subdistrict Office, Beizhen City. These are early Liao Dynasty stone carvings.

The stone carvings are located on the western cliff of the Shifo Temple site. The cliff is 8 meters long from north to south and 2.4 meters high, with artificially carved niches. The niche is 5.2 meters long from north to south, 1.8 meters high, and 0.2 meters deep. Inside the niche, there are five relief Buddha statues: three seated Buddhas and two standing attendants. The southernmost Buddha is 1.8 meters tall and 1.15 meters wide. The middle Buddha is 1.95 meters tall and 1.1 meters wide, with a standing attendant on each side, each 1.8 meters tall and 0.56 meters wide, depicted as Ananda. The northern Buddha is 1.85 meters tall and 0.85 meters wide. The three seated Buddhas have spiral-shaped hair buns, wear kasayas, and are seated cross-legged on lotus thrones. All the Buddha statues feature smooth lines, clear facial features, and a primitive yet bold carving style. Their designs and arrangements resemble those of Liao Dynasty brick carvings, leading scholars to identify them as Liao Dynasty sculptures with influences from the Bohai style. Due to years of weathering, the top of the middle Buddha is damaged, but the rest remain intact, with traces of original coloring still visible. These carvings hold significant historical value for the study and verification of Liao Dynasty religious beliefs and sculptural art, and they have been designated as a ninth-batch provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit.

Source: Beizhen City Tourism Development Committee