Grotto Carvings of the Thousand Buddha Temple

Grotto Carvings of the Thousand Buddha Temple

The grotto carvings of the Thousand Buddha Temple are a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

The grotto carvings of the Thousand Buddha Temple are located in the canyon of Shicheng Mountain to the southwest of the city, also known as Qibao Temple. The carvings are divided into two caves, with niches carved into the mountain and all facing south. The right niche features 1,040 Buddha statues carved in rows along the rugged cliff, each over a foot tall, interspersed with two standing bodhisattva statues and 18 seated arhat statues. The left niche contains 35 Buddha statues arranged horizontally. The Jiatai-era "Huizhou Annals" states: “Qibao Temple is located five li southwest of the county. It was formerly called Yuanhua Temple and was built by Monk Yulan during the Yongming era of the Qi Dynasty. It was abolished during the Huichang era. In the third year of the Kaichuan era of the Jin Dynasty, Zhao Renshuang saw a thousand stone Buddha figures in the rock niche and rebuilt the temple, renaming it Thousand Buddha Temple. In the first year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era, it was granted its current name.” The "Xinchang County Annals" record: “In the fifteenth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1382), it was renamed back to Thousand Buddha Temple.” This name has been used ever since. The carvings exhibit the style of the Southern Dynasties and have undergone multiple restorations throughout the dynasties. It is a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit.