Rock Carvings on West Cliff

Rock Carvings on West Cliff

The West Cliff Rock Carvings are located on West Cliff, situated across a river from the county seat. The existing Tang Dynasty rock carvings are carved into the cliff face of West Cliff and are sequentially numbered from south to north as No. 1 to No. 5. Cave No. 1 was carved in the 20th year of the Zhenyuan era during the reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang (804 AD). It features a round arch-shaped open niche, 2.8 meters wide at the mouth, 2.5 meters wide inside, 3.5 meters high, and 2.2 meters deep. The main Buddha and bodhisattvas originally enshrined in the niche have been destroyed. Currently, three statues—the bodhisattvas Manjushri, Guanyin, and Samantabhadra—are preserved, which were added in 1980. On the western wall of the niche, there are 34 seated Buddhas, 11 smaller Buddhas, and 8 stone-carved bodhi trees; the niche ceiling features 15 main Buddhas, 12 smaller Buddhas, and 4 flying cranes. The niche lintel is decorated with floral patterns and carved with seven small seated Buddhas. Flying apsaras are depicted in both left and right corners, all being Tang Dynasty reliefs. Most are now damaged. Outside the niche, there is an inscription reading: "Recorded on the fifteenth day of the third month of the year Ji Mao, in the 20th year of the Zhenyuan era of Tang (804 AD)." Cave No. 2 is located 1.44 meters below Cave No. 1. Carved during the Tang Dynasty, it has a round arch shape, is 2.6 meters high, 2.8 meters wide, and 2.24 meters deep. The central figure is a main Buddha, 2.1 meters tall and 0.65 meters wide at the shoulders, carved in full relief. The niche lintel is decorated with scrollwork floral patterns. On the left side wall of the niche, there is an inscription from the Zhengping era (1064–1067) of Emperor Yingzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, while the right side wall bears one inscription from the Ming Dynasty and two from the Qing Dynasty. Cave No. 3 was excavated during the Tang Dynasty. It has a round arch shape and is open, measuring 0.8 meters wide outside, 0.55 meters wide inside, 0.85 meters high, and 0.25 meters deep. Inside the niche, there is one Buddha and two disciples. The main Buddha is 0.46 meters tall and 0.22 meters wide, with a halo. The Buddha has a square face and large ears, with an expression that seems contemplative. The disciples stand to the left and right, facing forward. This is a round relief carving. The niche lintel is square, decorated with four shallow relief carvings of peony patterns and hanging curtains. Cave No. 4 is round arch-shaped, 2.7 meters high, 2.1 meters wide, and 2.2 meters deep, excavated during the Tang Dynasty. The niche contains one Buddha, two disciples, two bodhisattvas, and two guardian warriors, all carved in the round. The Buddha stands 1.8 meters tall and 0.5 meters wide. Each disciple is about 1.5 meters tall, the bodhisattvas are each about 1.3 meters tall, and the guardians are each about 1.2 meters tall. The niche lintel is decorated with scrollwork floral patterns in shallow relief, with twisting and varied designs. Flying apsaras are carved in the left and right corners—larger on the left and smaller on the right—as if flying through the air with vigorous and graceful postures. Outside the niche, on the northern wall, there is a small niche containing three Buddha statues sitting cross-legged (palms pressed together and legs folded) in a row, two guardian warriors, a qilin on each side, and a flying apsara in the upper corner. On the lower right corner outside the niche, there is an inscribed stele from the Duoping era (1234–1236) of Emperor Lizong of the Southern Song Dynasty. Cave No. 5 was carved in the 34th year of the Republic of China (1945), featuring a shallow relief carving of Guanyin. Outside the niche, there are two inscriptions from the 34th year of the Republic of China (1945), one of which reads: "Created by Chen Jinyong of the county."