Chongxiang Temple Cliff Carvings

Chongxiang Temple Cliff Carvings

The Chongxiang Temple Cliff Carvings are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Chongxiang Temple Cliff Carvings, also known as the "Dingguang Cliff Stone Carvings," are located in Xiaoxi Town, Guang’an County. The carved cliffs consist of four tiers, featuring over a hundred Buddhist statues of various sizes. The central figure on the upper tier is the Dingguang Buddha, also called the "Sun Bodhisattva." The Dingguang Buddha stands four meters tall, adorned with carvings of the sun and moon radiating light. When the sun shines directly, it emits a special glow, which locals refer to as the "auspicious radiance." During the Cultural Revolution, apart from the Dingguang Buddha, all the other smaller statues were destroyed. There is another scenic feature among the cliff carvings: the stone carving of the "Seven-Level Pagoda." Numerous legends are associated with this site.

Xiaoxi Town has been designated as the "Hometown of Stone Carvings" by the People’s Government of Guang’an County. Stone carvings of various sizes are spread throughout the town, forming a unique landscape, and the Chongxiang Temple carvings are especially noteworthy.

The Chongxiang Temple Cliff Carvings, commonly known as the "Dingguang Cliff Stone Carvings," span a cliff face over 100 meters long, reaching a maximum height of 22 meters. Forty meters above the ground, within a rock cavity, there are four tiers of carvings. The central figure on the upper tier is the Dingguang Buddha, also called the "Sun Bodhisattva." The statue stands four meters tall and is decorated with carvings of the sun and moon radiating light. It remains well-preserved to this day. When the sun shines directly, it emits a dazzling glow, which locals highly value and believe to be the "auspicious radiance." The Dingguang Cliff originally had over a hundred Buddhist statues of various sizes. Now, apart from the "Sun Bodhisattva," all the others were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. But how did the "Sun Bodhisattva" survive? There’s a story behind it.

In May 2013, the Chongxiang Temple Cliff Carvings were listed as part of the seventh group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

During the Cultural Revolution, as the whole country sought to eliminate superstitions and eradicate the "Four Olds," these stone carvings also came under attack. One day, after the rebel Red Guards had smashed many Buddha statues, night had fallen, and only the "Sun Bodhisattva" remained. Because it was so tall, they decided to tackle it the next day: they planned to tie one end of a rope to a yellow tung tree on the rocks and the other end around a person, who would use a hammer to smash the statue while suspended in the air. However, that night, thunder roared, fierce winds blew, and torrential rain poured. By the time the Red Guards returned the next day, the centuries-old yellow tung tree had been uprooted by the storm, making it impossible to tie the rope. Thus, the "Sun Bodhisattva" remained intact.

Protected Area: Extending from the top of the cliff upwards; 20 meters east of Cliff Carving No. 50; 20 meters south of the surrounding wall; 20 meters west of Cliff Carving No. 1; and 20 meters north of the Dingguang Cliff face.

Construction Control Zone: A 30-meter buffer zone beyond the protected area.

Xiaoxi Town: Located in the northeastern part of Guang’an District, Xiaoxi Town is 74 kilometers from the seat of the Guang’an District government. Along its 25-kilometer stretch of the Qu River shoreline, it neighbors Baohe, Wangxi, and Langya Towns in Qu County, Dazhou City, and borders Bashi, Hengsheng, and Longtai Towns within the district. The town covers an area of 63.85 square kilometers, governs 33 administrative villages, 1 street neighborhood committee, 246 villager groups, and 4 residential groups. It has 11,000 households and a population of 46,000, with cultivated land area totaling 28,898 mu — including 22,958 mu of paddy fields and 5,940 mu of dry land. The area usually plants 21,783 mu of rice and 3,400… [More details about Xiaoxi Town]++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units