Cliff Carvings on Zhangshan Mountain

Cliff Carvings on Zhangshan Mountain

The cliff carvings on Zhangshan Mountain are a cultural relic protection unit of Wencheng County.

The cliff carvings on Zhangshan Mountain are located on the rocky cliffs of Zhangshan Village, Longchuan Township, northwest of Wencheng County. There are two sets of carvings, spaced 30 meters apart. One faces south and features a line-engraved seated figure of a young man in his early twenties, with hands clasped in front of his chest as if silently chanting scriptures. The lines are simple and concise, covering an area of 0.49m × 0.30m. The other faces west and covers an area of 4 square meters. The composition is arranged under a line-engraved eave and consists of three barefoot figures in low relief: the first is a male, 1.31 meters tall, looking at a sutra scroll in his right hand while holding a ceremonial tablet in his left; the middle figure appears to be female, 1.35 meters tall, raising a small bowl with a burning lamp in her right hand and placing her left hand on her chest in a worshiping gesture; the last is a short-clothed attendant boy, 1.24 meters tall, holding a long pole with a banner. The postures of the carvings are lifelike, the facial expressions vivid, and the folds of the clothing fluid and varied. According to an inscription nearby, they were created in the third year of the Tai Ding era of the Yuan Dynasty (1326).

Source: Wenzhou Museum