The Belt and Road Global Travel | The stones here will "talk" to the cliffs | statues | the world
To convey the voice of communication and development and look for new glory on the Silk Road, the Xinhua News Agency's "the Belt and Road Global Travel" report group recently set out from Chongqing.
From Hongya Cave in Chongqing to the west, there is a world cultural heritage - Dazu Rock Carvings. Looking at the exquisite and unparalleled statues lying on the cliff, we can feel the past of China spanning thousands of years.
With the sound of camel bells along the ancient Silk Road, Buddhist cave art has been spreading eastward, and the stone carvings in the Sichuan Chongqing region have emerged in response to the times. From the early Tang Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the history of Dazu Rock Carvings has lasted for hundreds of years. More than 50000 statues and 100000 words of inscriptions have been broken out, creating a unique Chinese style and Chinese style cave art palace.
"North Dunhuang and South Dazu" is a reputation in the academic community for it.
The Dazu Rock Carvings have distinctive features, integrating Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and Chinese folk culture. The statue not only reflects the inheritance of the Central Plains culture in the north, but also has the geographical characteristics of the Bashu culture in the south.
Thousand Handed Avalokitesvara Statue
This magnificent statue was excavated in the Southern Song Dynasty, covering an area of 88 square meters. It is the largest ancient cliff stone carving statue in China that integrates carving, gilding, and painting, and is known as the "treasure of world stone carving art".
Upon closer inspection, there are 1007 "golden hands" radiating from the top and sides of this statue, as if peacocks are opening their screens. The artifacts in the hands of the statue showcase the daily necessities, labor tools, and weapons of war of ancient people, and have important historical value.
Shakyamuni Nirvana Monument Map
The niches of Shakyamuni Nirvana are 7 meters high, 32 meters wide, and 5 meters deep, with 37 carved statues. Shakyamuni's wise eyes closed slightly, and he lay peacefully. The Buddha statue hides its feet in the rock, with its right shoulder sunk to the ground, presenting an infinite artistic image through limited imagery.
Shu Chengyan Cliff Statue
Sculpted in the Southern Song Dynasty, Shu Chengyan Cliff Statue is a precious Taoist stone carving in Dazu Rock Carvings. The statue cliff has a total length of 38 meters and a height of 6.5 meters. There are currently over 70 statues and 13 inscriptions. Due to its ancient age, the statues suffer from diseases such as painted armor and peeling off. In 2017, the Dazu Rock Carvings Research Institute signed a cooperation agreement with the Italian Veneto Cultural Heritage Cluster to cooperate in the restoration of Shu Chengyan's cliff statues.
Thousands of years of time and faith have been engraved and condensed here into a treasure trove of cave culture with infinite wisdom and craftsmanship. This place carries the unique historical memory of the Chinese nation and constantly tells people about the past glory.
Final review: Zhang Yue and He Li
Academic guidance and pictures: Dazu Rock Carvings Research Institute