Boshiwhei Stone Carving Rock Art

　　Boshiwhei Stone Carving Rock Art is situated on the southern slope of Boshiwhei in Tuanjie Village, Wan Chang Township, Zhaojue County, adjacent to Hongmaoyida Township of Puge County. It is about 50 kilometers west of Xichang and 56 kilometers east of Zhaojue County. In early April 1982, leaders of the prefectural Party committee and government commissioned experts including Liu Yaoh Han from the Institute of Ethnology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Song Zhaolin from the National Museum of Chinese History to conduct an appraisal. They confirmed that the rock art site is massive in scale and rich in content, representing a Buddhist relic from the Nanzhao-Dali period with significant historical value. Later, a rock art investigation team was formed, comprising personnel from the Liangshan Prefecture Culture Bureau, the Institute of Ethnology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (Liu Yaoh Han), the National Museum of Chinese History (Song Zhaolin, Du Yaoxi, Li Jiafang, Xi Changxi, Zhang Yanping), and others. Over a 23-day period, they carried out cleaning, archaeological work, mapping, photography, and rubbings. On April 16, 1991, the Boshiwhei Stone Carving Rock Art was designated as a third batch provincial-level cultural relic protection unit by the People’s Government of Sichuan Province.

　　In accordance with the “Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Cultural Relics” and the “Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relic Management Measures,” the county government organized relevant department heads to conduct an on-site survey of Boshiwhei on September 13, 1991. Following the principles of preserving the natural environmental context of the relics, ensuring their safety, and facilitating their development and utilization, a key protected area centered on the Boshiwhei Stone Carving Rock Art, covering 44.28 mu, was designated. Surrounding this core area, a general protected zone was demarcated: 100 meters east toward the direction of Agarguyimo, 60 meters west toward Yizinaijie, and 100 meters north toward the direction of Gubaamo. This delineation includes a total of 95.28 mu of collectively owned forest land within the key and general protected areas as well as the cultural zone. The protection and management of this cultural relic continue to be entrusted to the People’s Government of Wan Chang Township, Jiefanggou (as per Notice No. 81 issued by the Zhao Fu Fa).<1991>Notification in Document No. 8l.

　　The rock carvings were created using line engraving techniques on sixteen massive natural boulders, covering a total area of approximately 440 square meters, and can be divided into three sections: south, west, and north. South Section: Located in the middle and lower part of the hillside, adjacent to the northern bank of the Boshiwhei River, this is the main distribution area. It contains eight engraved stones, among which the largest one serves as the central piece. Its top surface spans 198 square meters and features a huge depiction of the Nirvana scene. The lower part depicts figures such as Sakyamuni and Guanyin. Other stones in this section feature major Buddhist images including Sakyamuni, Guanyin, the Four Heavenly Kings, Wisdom Kings, and stupas, along with one Chinese inscription. West Section: Located to the west of the South Section, this area has five engraved stones distributed in two clusters—north and south. The southernmost stone bears an image of a male figure. About 100 meters to the right of this stone are four additional engraved stones. North Section: Situated at the mountaintop, this section has three engraved stones, two of which are located toward the west. These are smaller in size with rougher line-engraving techniques, depicting small human figures. On the cliff face to the southeast, there is a horizontally elongated engraved stone with a relatively smooth southern surface. It features a large-scale depiction of a six-person horseback procession. The content of the Boshiwhei Stone Carving Rock Art primarily reflects Buddhist heritage. Notably unique are the royal procession imagery and the appearance of Yi ethnic Bimo (shamans), which warrant further study. In summary, these yin-line engraved rock carvings feature numerous figures, grand compositions, and exceptionally large panels—rare among cliff engraving artworks to date. Especially within the Liangshan Yi region, discovering such a large-scale Esoteric Buddhist cliff sculpture provides new historical materials for understanding local history, the spread of Buddhism, and ancient ethnic relations. It also holds significant scientific value for research in local history, ethnic history, religious history, and art history.