Cliff Carvings at Jianshan Temple

Cliff Carvings at Jianshan Temple

The Cliff Carvings at Jianshan Temple are a cultural relic protection unit of Pujiang County.

County-level Cultural Relics Protection Unit — Cliff Carvings at Jianshan Temple

Located in Qiaolou Village, Chaoyang Township, about 20 kilometers southwest of Pujiang County. The carvings are distributed along the cliffs near Jianshan Temple, with 23 niches and 159 statues currently preserved. Among them, there are 18 niches and 154 statues from the Tang Dynasty, 2 niches and 2 statues from the Ming Dynasty, and 3 niches and 3 statues from the Qing Dynasty. Jianshan Temple is situated atop a high mountain peak and was anciently known as Chaotian Temple, located along the ancient road from Pujiang to Danling.

The Tang Dynasty carvings are found in niches 3–19 and niche 23. Niche 3, measuring 1.77 meters in height, 1.43 meters in width, and 1.4 meters in depth, contains 15 statues. These include one Buddha, two disciples, two bodhisattvas, two guardian warriors, and the Eight Divisions of Heaven and Dragon. The main Buddha is seated in the lotus position, with a seated height of 0.84 meters. Niche 4, measuring 1.6 meters in height, 1.4 meters in width, and 1.15 meters in depth, features 25 Tang Dynasty Esoteric Buddhist statues. The main deity is the Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin, standing 1.39 meters tall, with a damaged head and hands holding various ritual implements such as an axe, a pot, and prayer beads. The eastern wall retains 8 statues, including an eight-armed wrathful deity with three heads and a Vina Yaksha with an elephant head and human body. The western wall also has 14 statues, featuring kneeling deities with sheep or lion heads and human bodies, as well as an eight-armed wrathful deity with three heads. Two donor figures are carved outside the niche entrance.

Niches 1 and 2 feature the seated statue of Ksitigarbha, created in the 36th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1557). Niches 20 and 21 contain Qing Dynasty statues of Guanyin. Niche 22 holds a Qing Dynasty statue of the Earth God.

Additionally, the cliff features inscriptions left by visitors in the first year of the Jiading era of the Song Dynasty (1208), climbing records from the third year of the Duanping era (1236) by Yu (the great-grandson of Yu Yunwen and son-in-law of Wei Liaoweng) and Wei Lingxian (nephew of Wei Liaoweng), as well as inscriptions from the 34th and 36th years of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1555, 1557), the ninth year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1870), and other decorative texts.

Jianshan Temple also preserves stone inscriptions from the 48th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1611), the fifth year of the Chongzhen era (1632), the 31st year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1766), and the 17th year of the Daoguang reign (1837). There is also a tomb stele of the temple monk Xuixuan from the ninth year of the Guangxu reign (1883), and a stone statue of the Pig King Bodhisattva from the 26th year of the Guangxu reign (1900).

On July 20, 1988, the People’s Government of Pujiang County designated the Cliff Carvings at Jianshan Temple as a county-level cultural relics protection unit.