Beishan Stone Carvings

Beishan Stone Carvings

The Beishan cliff carvings were first created in the late Tang Dynasty and continued until the Southern Song Dynasty. The stone carvings are located on Beishan Mountain, about 2 kilometers north of Dazu County. Centered around Dafo Bay, they extend to five other areas nearby: Guanyin Slope, Yingpan Slope, Fo’er Rock, and Beita Temple. The site stretches over 500 meters. The cliffs are about 7 meters high, with carvings carved along their faces. From south to north, the shape resembles a crescent moon, and the niches are packed like a honeycomb. There are more than 5,000 statues. The carvings are delicate and exquisite, showcasing masterful and ingenious craftsmanship. With the exception of some damaged steles, pagodas, and shallow or small niches, the majority are well-preserved.

Beishan, anciently known as Longgang Mountain, is located 1.5 kilometers north of Longgang Town, Dazu County, at an elevation of 545.5 meters. The key protected area of the Beishan cliff carvings covers 7.62 hectares, the general protected area spans 21.82 hectares, and the construction control zone encompasses 28.15 hectares. The Beishan Buddha Bay cliff carvings were excavated between 892–1162 AD (from the first year of the Tang Jingfu era to the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty). The carved cliff face is approximately 300 meters long and 7–10 meters high. The niches are densely clustered like a honeycomb and are divided into southern and northern sections, numbered 1–290 in total (nos. 1–100 for the southern section, and nos. 101–290 for the northern section). Among them, there are 264 niches, 1 engraved picture, and 8 pagoda pillars.

The Beishan cliff carvings consist of nearly 10,000 statues, most of which were commissioned and funded by laypeople for Buddhist worship. The carvings depict 51 subjects, predominantly from Esoteric Buddhism, accounting for over half of the total. Other subjects include the Three Stages School and Pure Land Buddhism. These themes were extremely popular among the populace at the time and represent the secularization of Buddhism, differing from earlier Chinese cave temples. The Beishan carvings are renowned worldwide for their delicate carving, exceptional artistry, refined techniques, and elegant beauty. They showcase the development and evolution of folk Buddhist beliefs and cave art styles in China from the late 9th century to the mid-12th century (Late Tang, Five Dynasties, and both Song Dynasties).

The late Tang Dynasty carvings from the late 9th century feature 12 types of subjects, predominantly focusing on Guanyin, combined niches of Guanyin and Ksitigarbha, and Avalokiteshvara flanked by Guanyin and Ksitigarbha. The statues are dignified and full-bodied, with a robust aura, fine and dense drapery, and garments that cling delicately to the body, reflecting the lingering style of the prosperous Tang era. Representative works include the Vaisravana niche (No. 5), the Thousand-Armed Guanyin niche (No. 9), the Shakyamuni Buddha niche (No. 10), the Three Ages of Buddha niche (No. 51), and the Amitabha Buddha niche (No. 52). Notably, the 245th niche, depicting the Visualized Rebirth in the Land of Bliss (Guangjiufo Jingbianxiang), is exceptionally rich in content and clearly layered. It includes carvings of the “Three Saints of the West,” “Three Grades and Nine Births,” “Unborn Resentment,” “Sixteen Meditations,” as well as celestial musicians and pavilions. With 539 human figures and over 460 various objects, it preserves a wealth of historical imagery and stands as the foremost example of its kind among Chinese cave temple carvings.

The Five Dynasties carvings from the mid-10th century make up more than one-third of the Beishan carvings, making this site the region with the highest number of carvings from that period in China, serving as a crucial link between earlier and later styles. The carvings feature 18 subjects, introducing new elements such as the Medicine Buddha Transformation and Dhāraṇī Pagoda Pillars. Their artistic characteristics are small and delicate, with varied postures, graceful expressions, and increasingly intricate patterns, reflecting a transitional style from the Tang to the Song Dynasty. For example, the Buddha and bodhisattva statues in niche 53 exhibit both the full and simple forms of Tang Dynasty carving and the slender bodies characteristic of Song Dynasty statues. The Thousand-Armed Guanyin and her attendants in niche 273, and the Eastern Pure Land of the Medicine Buddha in niche 281, feature clinging garments reminiscent of Tang style, yet the refined visages echo the aesthetics of Song Dynasty carvings.

The Song Dynasty carvings from the late 10th century to the mid-12th century cover a wide range of 21 subjects, with Guanyin being the most prominent, earning the site the title of “China’s Gallery of Guanyin Statues.” The works from this period are more life-like, reflecting the aesthetic tastes of the Song Dynasty. The statues are characterized by distinct personalities, graceful postures, balanced proportions, and vibrant attire. The most representative is niche 136, the revolving sutra pillar cave, built between 1142–1146 AD. The statues in this cave reflect inner serenity through tranquil facial expressions and convey noble status through exquisitely detailed clothing and headwear. Using lines as a primary modeling technique while balancing both line and form, the carvings carry distinctive Chinese ethnic characteristics. Adorned with jeweled necklaces, fluttering ribbons, floral clusters, and beaded ornaments, the statues are intricately decorated and mostly well-preserved, appearing as if newly carved. They are widely regarded as “the crown jewel of Chinese cave art.” Other masterpieces from this period include the Bead-Handed Guanyin (No. 125), the Water-Moon Guanyins (Nos. 113 and 133), the Peacock King niche (No. 155), the Sage of Sizhou niche (No. 177), and the Thirteen Guanyin Transformations niche (No. 180). The images, poses, personalities, expressions, as well as the folds of the robes and ornaments of these statues are all fascinating. The combinations and variations are rich, the carving is exquisite, and every angle offers unexpected and captivating scenes.

Among the Beishan cliff carvings, 7 stone steles remain. Among them, the Wei Junjing Stele, carved in 895 AD, holds significant value for supplementing the history of the Tang Dynasty. The Zhao Yijian Stele, carved between 1163–1189 AD, was written by Cai Jing, one of the Four Great Calligraphers of the Song Dynasty, and is a treasured piece of calligraphic art. The 22-chapter Classic of Filial Piety in Ancient Script Stele is hailed by historians as “the only one of its kind in the world.” In addition, 17 inscribed poems and 77 carving records are preserved. These materials hold considerable research value for the study of historical geography, religious beliefs, dating and periodization of cave temples, and historical figures.