Cliff Carvings at Zhongyan Temple

Cliff Carvings at Zhongyan Temple

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

Cliff Carvings at Zhongyan Temple

The Cliff Carvings at Zhongyan Temple are located on Zhongyan, on the eastern bank of the Min River, nine kilometers south of Qingcheng.

Historical records indicate that temple construction at Zhongyan began during the Tang Dynasty. At that time, the temple was known as Decian Monastery. It is said that the Arhat Nagarjuna vowed not to return to the Pure Land but to remain in the human world to share both joy and hardship with people. He was regarded as the deity presiding over offspring and prosperity. Through large-scale expansions during the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties and up to the Ming Dynasty, Zhongyan Mountain hosted numerous temples, countless cliff carvings and stone inscriptions, making it a famous Buddhist destination in Sichuan. Major temples built through the dynasties include the “Chuigong Temple” on Upper Rock, the “Jingde Chan Monastery” on Middle Rock, and the “Cimu Temple” on Lower Rock. In addition, there were the “Water-Moon Tower” by the river, ancient pagodas in the mountain, the “Dongpo Study Tower,” grotto carvings, as well as numerous stone inscriptions, couplets, and calligraphic works. A local saying went, “Visit Zhongyan first, then pay homage at Mount Emei.”

The Zhongyan Temple Cliff Carvings consist of 48 niches and 2,492 statues, most of which date back to the Tang Dynasty. The sculptures are simple yet vivid, with smooth lines. The Song Dynasty poet Fan Chengda wrote in his *Wu Pan Record* about the “Thousand Buddha Corridor”: “This place features steep cliffs with thousands of Buddha carvings upon them. The rocks form a shelter like a house, within which lies the trace of a reclining immortal.” “The craggy cliffs are covered with countless Buddhas, as numerous as grains of sand in the Ganges.” Unfortunately, weathering and damage have been severe, and today only a portion of the thousand Buddhas can be seen. On the sheer cliffs above the Thousand Buddha Rock, there is a Reclining Buddha niche. Preserved to this day are the *Procession Image Painting* created in mid-Tang times, along with stone-carved stupas of monks from Tusi Temple—both considered masterpieces of carving art.

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

Protected Area: With the foundation of the front hall of the Lower Temple at Zhongyan as the baseline, the protected area extends 20 meters westward to the hillside on the eastern bank of the Min River, 30 meters southward along Qingguan Road, and 50 meters northward. It also extends eastward to the peak of Cuiwei Mountain.

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

Further Reading:

· Seventh Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units