Shuining Temple Grottoes

Shuining Temple Grottoes

The Shuining Temple Grottoes are a cultural tourism attraction.

The Shuining Temple Grottoes are located in Shuining Temple Town, 37 kilometers east of Bazhong City. They lie along the ancient route from ancient Bashu to Hanzhong, known as the "Micang Road." The site is now at the junction of the roads from Bazhong to Tongjiang and Dachuan, with highways connecting Bazhong to Dachuan and Tongjiang running right through the town. Before the fourth year of the Qiande era in the Northern Song Dynasty (966 AD), this area was called Shining County. Situated on a key north-south transportation route, it served as the political, economic, and cultural center of the region at the time. The old name of Shuining Temple was "Shining Temple," but the ancient temple no longer exists. However, along the cliffs on both sides of the Shuining River, stretching approximately 500 meters in front of where the temple once stood, there remain 38 niches and 316 statues from the flourishing Tang Dynasty. Among the most exquisite are niches 1 through 9, located on the cliff behind the original temple. All nine niches were carved during the flourishing Tang Dynasty and are considered the most finely crafted and artistically valuable among the extant grottoes in Bazhong. Niche 1 is a double-layered niche, square on the outside and round on the inside. Inside, the Three Saints of the East stand on the main wall: the Medicine Buddha in the center, holding a medicine bowl in his left hand and a mendicant’s staff in his right, with a halo above his forehead, a round and serene face, flanked by the Sunlight Bodhisattva and Moonlight Bodhisattva, both graceful in form. Two fierce-looking guardian figures stand on the outer side of the inner niche, depicted in a fighting stance. At the two corners of the niche’s lintel are carved flying apsaras dancing amid auspicious clouds. Niche 2 depicts the Buddha Shakyamuni preaching the ocean of wisdom, with disciples Kaśyapa and Ānanda, two bodhisattvas, and two guardian figures standing on either side of him. The outer walls of the niche feature donor figures, while behind the two heavenly kings inside the niche stand two women in secular attire, each wearing a high bun. Niche 4 features a statue of Guanyin seated sideways on the main wall, wearing a precious crown and Buddhist robes, with a boy and a girl attendant on either side. Niche 8 contains a central Buddha, two disciples, two bodhisattvas, two heavenly kings, and two guardian figures carved on the outer side. The main deity is adorned with twin bodhi trees behind, and flanking the pedestal are two offering bodhisattvas. The Eight Classes of Deities are scattered throughout, while two flying apsaras soar above the niche, and two guardian figures stand before pillars. The Buddha Shakyamuni has large earrings, a halo over his forehead, a round and serene face, and his hands form the Dharma Wheel mudra; the disciple Kaśyapa on the left holds a rosary, while Ānanda on the right carries a sutra box; the right heavenly king wears Central Asian attire and has a full beard; the Eight Classes of Deities are depicted in diverse poses. This niche contains numerous figures arranged in a well-balanced composition, with the open space behind the niche contrasting strongly with the densely arrayed deities along the walls. On the opposite bank in front of the ancient temple lies the Thousand Buddha Cliff, which has more than ten small niches, though their preservation condition is relatively poor.

The statues of the Shuining Temple Grottoes are delicate and exquisitely carved, with lifelike forms, graceful and varied human postures, and richly colored details.