Rock Carvings at Huilong Mountain

Rock Carvings at Huilong Mountain

The Rock Carvings at Huilong Mountain are a cultural relic protection unit of Sichuan Province.

The rock carvings at Huilong Mountain are located on a steep cliff of Huilong Mountain by the Jialing River in Huilongya Village, Panlong Town. The cliff features an ancient Tang Dynasty stele inscription titled "Record of Shen Rong’s Meritorious Deeds." This text was composed by Shen Tao, who served as an imperial scholar during the reign of Emperor Daizong of Tang, and it praises his nephew Shen Rong, who once held the position of magistrate in Xipu (now part of Pidu District, Chengdu). The inscription extols the virtues of the site where Shen Rong chose to spend his final years, and outlines the genealogy of the Shen family and the personal background of Shen Rong.

Also known as the "Record of Shen Rong’s Meritorious Deeds," the Huilong Mountain rock carvings were created in the third year of the Dali era of the Tang Dynasty (768 AD), over 1,200 years ago. They are carved into a rock face on the mountainside of Huilong Mountain, positioned 10.4 meters above the ground. The carving is a shallow niche, measuring 2.1 meters in height and 1.8 meters in width, which houses the "Record of Shen Rong’s Meritorious Deeds" authored by Shen Tao, who was an imperial scholar during the reign of Emperor Daizong. The inscription also details the history and migration of the Shen family, as well as the official career and eventual reclusion of Shen Tao himself. Above the main record is a smaller niche, approximately 0.4 meters in height and 2.2 meters in length. Since their discovery in 1982, these rock carvings have been designated as a provincial-level key cultural relic protected due to their significant historical, artistic, and scientific value. Cultural relics authorities plan to nominated them as a candidate for National Key Cultural Relic Protection status. Experts from the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute regard this set of carvings as comprising five Buddhas, four disciples, and two attendants—representing an Esoteric Buddhist iconography distinct from other regional styles in Sichuan, thus offering valuable insight into the transmission of Esoteric Buddhism in the region. On the outer side of the niche is a calligraphic inscription by Xianyu Shuming, who served as Prefect of Dengzhou, Defense Commissioner, and Mayor of Jingzhao. The calligraphy exhibits a powerful yet refined style, blending strength and subtlety. As one of the rare surviving inscriptions from that period, it holds high historical and artistic value.

Protective Zone: East – 50 meters beyond the eastern edge of the niche; West – 50 meters beyond the western edge of the niche; South – up to the cliff face; North – 10 meters beyond the northern edge of the niche up to the mountainside.

Construction Control Area: Extending 200 meters east and west from the boundary of the protective zone, south to the cliff face, and 50 meters north to the Jialing River.