Cliff Carvings on Xianglong Mountain

Cliff Carvings on Xianglong Mountain

The cliff carvings on Xianglong Mountain are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The cliff carvings on Xianglong Mountain are located near the government building of Neijiang City on the banks of Yudai Stream in downtown Neijiang. Along approximately 100 meters high and 200 meters long of the mountain cliffs, there are 54 grottoes of cliff carvings preserved from the Tang, Song, and Republican periods, featuring over 400 statues of various sizes — the largest reaching about 8 meters in height, the smallest just a few inches, all displaying an ancient and rustic style. In addition, there is one niche of stone carvings divided into three levels: the upper two levels have 12 compartments each, while the lower level is a continuous expanse, measuring approximately 3 meters in length and 2 meters in width, containing over 150 exquisitely crafted and lifelike statues.

There are more than ten inscribed stone tablets, including one poem engraved by the famous contemporary Chinese painting master Zhang Daqian during his youth. Measuring 154 cm in height and 82 cm in width, the inscription is bold and archaic, serving as a treasured piece for studying the evolution of Zhang Daqian’s calligraphy. In addition, there are numerous stone carvings and poems by local painters and calligraphers from the late Qing and early Republican eras, such as Zeng Qingchang, Chen Mingman, and Qiu Techeng.

In May 2013, the cliff carvings on Xianglong Mountain were designated as part of the seventh batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Protected Area: East to civil air defense facilities, south to the cliffs of Xianglong Mountain, west to the enclosing wall of No. 1 carving niche, north to the existing retaining wall and fence.

Construction Control Zone: East to the inner side of Xinhua Road, south to the cliffs of Xianglong Mountain, west to the inner side of Xianglong Road, north to the inner side of Xinhua Road.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units