The Stone Statue of Maitreya and the Thousand Buddha Cliff Carvings at Dafo Temple

The Stone Statue of Maitreya and the Thousand Buddha Cliff Carvings at Dafo Temple

The Stone Statue of Maitreya and the Thousand Buddha Cliff Carvings at Dafo Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Stone Statue of Maitreya and the Thousand Buddha Cliff Carvings at Dafo Temple

Dafo Temple in Xinchang is located in the southwest of Xinchang County, nestled in the valley between Nanming Mountain and Shicheng Mountain. Inside the temple stands a massive stone statue of Maitreya, while outside the temple there are scenic spots such as Hidden Crane Cave, Saw-Cut Rock, Zhaoying Pavilion, Handsome Rock, Stone Chessboard, Liberation Pond, and various cliff inscriptions. The temple was first built during the Yonghe era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (345–350), boasting a history of over 1,600 years, and is one of the National Key Buddhist Temples. Built against the mountain, the temple appears to have five stories from the front. Its interior is grand and imposing, with the huge stone statue of Maitreya seated cross-legged right in the center of the main hall. This colossal statue was carved directly out of the cliffs and took approximately 30 years to complete, making it a representative work of early stone cave carvings in southern China. The statue is towering and majestic; measurements show that the base of the stone Buddha is 2.4 meters high, the seated figure itself is 13.2 meters tall and 15.9 meters wide, with knees spaced 10.6 meters apart and ears 2.7 meters long. The Buddha’s hands are placed palm-up on its knees, and the space between them can accommodate over ten people. About 300 meters northwest of Dafo Temple lies a smaller temple called “Thousand Buddha Hall,” which houses a thousand small Buddha statues, each about 7 inches tall and 5 inches wide, neatly arranged and exuding vivid charm, fully reflecting the boundless wisdom and exceptional artistic skill of ancient Chinese craftsmen. Xinchang Dafo Temple also features an enormous reclining Buddha, housed in the Reclining Buddha Temple, which is the largest of its kind in Asia.

Dafo Temple is situated on Shicheng Mountain, known for its “sheer cliffs, rugged rocks, and surroundings resembling a fortress.” With a long history of establishment, the temple holds a prestigious position in the Buddhist community and was once one of the centers for Buddhist study and dissemination in China.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units