Ancient Buddha Cave Cliff Carvings

Ancient Buddha Cave Cliff Carvings

The Ancient Buddha Cave Cliff Carvings are a Sichuan Provincial-level cultural heritage site.

The Ancient Buddha Cave Cliff Carvings, a county-level cultural heritage site, are located at the Xinhua Street Community Committee in Jiangkou Town. Also known as the Buddha Cave, these carvings date back to the Tang, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Oriented from northeast to southwest, they are carved into yellow sandstone and spread across a 25-meter-long, 6.2-meter-wide cliff face covering an area of 155 square meters. There are a total of 26 niches and 55 statues. Currently, there is one niche from the Tang Dynasty, with the rest dating to the Ming and Qing periods. Among them, niche No. 12 from the Tang Dynasty is the most distinctive. It features a square entrance, a curtain-style lintel, and a domed ceiling inside, measuring 3 meters in height, 2.5 meters in width, and 1.5 meters in depth. The niche houses 26 statues depicting the preaching of Maitreya. Maitreya is barefoot, seated with legs crossed, wearing a U-shaped kasaya with an exposed chest, a high ushnisha, and a round halo. His right hand is raised with the palm outward, holding a bead between the thumb and index finger, while his left hand rests on his knee. The statue of Maitreya stands 1.5 meters tall with shoulders 0.6 meters wide. On either side of the Buddha are disciples of the Eight Classes of Deities and Dragons, bodhisattvas, heavenly kings, guardian warriors, and flying apsaras. The carvings are exquisitely crafted and lifelike, providing valuable physical material for the study of cliff carvings from the Tang Dynasty in the Bazhong region. They hold significant historical, religious, and artistic value in sculpture.

Protected Area: The eastern boundary is the edge of the inner courtyard of the Agricultural Machinery Supply Company; the western boundary is the building of the Ancient Buddha Cave Management Office under the Cultural Relics Bureau; the southern boundary is the retaining wall behind Tongzhou Market; the northern boundary is the edge of the cliff behind the Ancient Buddha Cave.

Construction Control Zone: An area extending 100 meters beyond the protected zone.

Jiangkou Subdistrict: A town under the jurisdiction of Pingchang County. It is the seat of the county government. Established as Jiangkou Township in 1913, it was renamed Jiangkou Township in 1939, upgraded to a town in 1946, renamed Chengguan Town in 1953, and reverted to Jiangkou Town in 1981. Located in the central part of the county at the confluence of the Ba River and the Tongjiang River, the streets are arranged in three-tiered levels. It covers an area of 5.2 square kilometers with a population of 50,000. The Dazhou (Chuan) to Guangyuan provincial highway runs through the center of the town, while county roads connect to various towns and villages. The Ba River and Tongjiang River are navigable. It administers seven neighborhood committees: Xinping, Xinhua, Jianshe, Zhengfa, Renmin, Wenhua, and Xiaoqiao Street. The area hosts industries such as construction, building materials, clothing, and bags... More detailed information about Jiangkou Subdistrict ++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Sichuan Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites