Cliff Carvings at Qianfo Mountain in Zhangwu

Cliff Carvings at Qianfo Mountain in Zhangwu

The cliff carvings at Qianfo Mountain in Zhangwu are a cultural relic protection unit of Liaoning Province.

The cliff carvings at Qianfo Mountain in Fuxin form a group of rock reliefs belonging to Tibetan Buddhism, also known as the Yellow Sect. Constructed in the 26th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty, 173 carvings remain today. They feature diverse designs and vivid expressions, remaining striking even after a century.

The site is located five li southwest of Zhanlan Village, Sijiazi Township, in the northeast of Zhangwu County, Liaoning Province. It is said that in the late Qing Dynasty, a monk named Zhu Wenjiu from inland China led his disciples here to carve Buddhist statues. Originally planning to carve a thousand statues, they had completed only 198 by the first year of the Xuantong reign (1909), at which point the project was halted—hence the name "Thousand Buddha Mountain." Currently, 197 statues remain, including warriors and arhats riding horses, dragons, tigers, elephants, and qilins. The carvings are generally about one meter tall, with the tallest reaching 20.2 meters and the shortest just 0.3 meters. The craftsmanship is exquisite, making these carvings an important resource for studying Qing Dynasty sculpture art.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Liaoning Province