North Mountain Cliff Inscriptions

North Mountain Cliff Inscriptions

The North Mountain Cliff Inscriptions are a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The North Mountain Cliff Inscriptions are located in Luodian Town, Wucheng District, Jinhua City, dating from the Tang Dynasty to the People's Republic of China.

The cliff carvings are mostly concentrated around the Three Caves of North Mountain. The three traditional Chinese characters for "Shuanglong Cave" at the cave entrance are said to be the work of —; the five large characters “Thirty-Six Caves of Heaven” on the ceiling of the outer cave were written by Yu Youren; the two characters “Cave Heaven” to its left were inscribed by Song Dynasty calligrapher Wu Lin; the small cave on the east side features ancient-style characters “Dragon Ear,” supplemented by monk Lian in October of the Gengchen year. Inside the inner cave, the four forceful characters “Remarkable Water and Rock Scenery” have an unknown author; to their right, the three characters “Shuanglong Cave,” with the character for dragon in ancient style and written in reverse, were inscribed by Zhang Erqi from Hefei when he visited; further to the right, a Qingtian stone tablet is embedded in the wall, engraved with the essay “Record of a Visit to the Inner Shuanglong Cave” by Wu Chaoxu.

At the steep top of the cave entrance, the two characters “Prohibited Mountain” are carved quite conspicuously, though the author is unknown.

On the left wall of the Chaizhen Cave, the five characters “Thirty-Six Caves of Heaven” were written by Wang Zhiluo of Jinhua.

In addition, on a huge rock at the Dakengkou of Panqian, there are large characters carved as “Dayun Pass” and “Namo Amitabha.”

The North Mountain Cliff Inscriptions were mostly created by master calligraphers. Some denote scenic spot names, others highlight landscape features, and still others are tourist inscriptions. Not only do they beautify the scenery and enhance its charm, but they also possess historical, archaeological, cultural, and artistic value. The North Mountain Cliff (grotto) inscriptions are located approximately two kilometers north of Dazu County town. They were first carved in the first year of the Jingfu era of Emperor Zhaozong of the Tang Dynasty (892 AD), continued through the Five Dynasties and Two Song periods, with nearly ten thousand Buddha statues successively created at sites such as Fowan, Yingpanpo, Guanyinpo, Beita Temple, and Fo’er Rock. The Buddha statues of North Mountain are most densely concentrated in Fowan, with a total of 290 numbered niches. On the over 300-meter-long and 7-meter-high cliff face, there are six steles, 55 inscriptions and statue inscriptions, eight pagoda-shaped stone pillars, one relief carving of “Manjushri Visiting the Sick,” and 264 niches of stone carvings. The Fowan Buddha sculptures are exquisitely carved, with graceful forms and unique styles.

The “Samantabhadra” statue in the “Heart-Chariot Cave” is exquisitely crafted and hailed as the “Venus of the East”; the “Rotating Scripture Stupa Cave” is known as the “Stone Carving Palace”; the “Wei Junjing Stele,” “Cai Jing Stele,” and “Ancient Filial Piety Classic Stele” are unique survivals in the world, both treasured calligraphic works and valuable supplements to missing historical records, making them of extremely high value. The Fowan stone carvings are divided into southern and northern areas, with the southern area mostly featuring works from the late Tang and Five Dynasties periods, while the northern area is dominated by pieces from the Two Song periods. Works from the late Tang period feature dignified and full-bodied figures, rich and profound qualities, simple clothing, and smooth lines. Those from the Five Dynasties are delicate, intricate, and richly varied, with garments evolving from simple to complex, gradually breaking away from foreign cultural influences, showing characteristics of a transitional period in stone carving. The works from the Two Song period prominently display national characteristics.

On January 7, 2011, it was announced as part of the sixth batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Luodian Town: Located in the northern suburbs of Jinhua City, Luodian Town covers an area of 72 square kilometers, governs 33 administrative villages, and has a total population of 18,000, with a resident population exceeding 30,000. The area hosts numerous institutions, including the Shuanglong Scenic Area, the Jinhua Garrison, and Jinhua No. 3 Middle School. It enjoys convenient transportation, beautiful surroundings, and picturesque landscapes, highlighting advantages such as proximity to the city, resource richness, flower industry strength, transport access, cultural heritage, and livability. It is a long-established historic and cultural town. The “11th Five-Year Plan” for economic and social development in Wucheng District classifies Luodian Town as a district-level central town, and... More detailed information about Luodian Town++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units