Qixia Mountain Thousand Buddha Cliff in Nanjing

Qixia Mountain Thousand Buddha Cliff in Nanjing

Qixia Mountain Thousand Buddha Cliff in Nanjing

Qixia Mountain Thousand Buddha Cliff is located on the rocky cliffs on the northeast side of Qixia Temple on Qixia Mountain in Nanjing. The Thousand Buddha Cliff was gradually carved between the second year of the Yongming era of the Southern Qi Dynasty (484) and the tenth year of the Tianjian era of the Liang Dynasty (511). The Buddha statues are either arranged in groups of five or six in one niche, or seven or eight in one chamber. Originally, there were 515 Buddha statues, carved in 29...

According to ancient texts, there was once an exquisitely crafted Buddha statue here that could rival those in the Yungang and Longmen Grottoes. However, because the rock here is quartz sandstone, which is prone to weathering, and due to renovations carried out by Ming Dynasty eunuchs, the artistic value of the Buddha statues has been greatly diminished. Starting in 1925, Ruoshun, the abbot of Qixia Temple, and others applied cement to all the statues to give them a fresh appearance, and “painted their lips red and eyes black” to make them more presentable for viewing.

In the seventh year of the Yongming era of the Southern Qi Dynasty (489), Ming Zhongzhang, the second son of Ming Sengshao and the magistrate of Lin Yi County, inherited his father’s ambition and, together with Master Fadu, carved the “Three Saints Statues” on the rocky cliffs of the western peak of Qixia Mountain. This project continued until the tenth year of the Tianjian era of the Liang Dynasty (511). The central figure is a seated statue of the Buddha of Infinite Life, standing 12 meters tall, flanked by the Bodhisattvas Guanyin and Shizhi, each about 10 meters tall. This is the earliest and largest grotto carved on the Thousand Buddha Cliff. Later, princes, nobles, and high-ranking officials from the Qi and Liang Dynasties carved Buddha statues along the cliffs according to their height. The Song and Ming Dynasties also saw additional carvings and restorations. The cliff face has five levels in total, with some Buddha statues several meters tall and others just over a foot. Some are arranged in groups of five or six in one niche, others in groups of seven or eight, resembling a honeycomb or pigeon loft—hence the name Thousand Buddha Cliff. There are also inscriptions by the Southern Tang calligraphers Xu Xuan and Xu Kai, as well as inscriptions such as “Ancient Thousand Buddha Cliff at Qixia Temple” written by the Song Dynasty’s You Jiuyan, and Ming Dynasty inscriptions recording the renovation of the niches.

During the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, the Thousand Buddha Cliff suffered severe damage. In 1925, Abbot Ruoshun coated all the stone statues with cement, causing them to lose their original appearance. They were further damaged during the “Cultural Revolution.” Currently, 515 statues and 294 niches remain, most of which are damaged, with only a few still intact.

Address: Inside Qixia Mountain Scenic Area, Qixia District, Nanjing

Type: Historical Site

Recommended Visit Duration: About 1 hour

Phone: 025-85761831

Opening Hours:

Qixia Mountain Scenic Area Opening Hours: 7:00–17:00

Ticket Information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the Qixia Mountain Scenic Area ticket. Qixia Mountain Scenic Area ticket is 40 RMB (during the Autumn Red Leaf Festival) and 25 RMB during the off-season.