The Thousand Buddhas Cliff Grottoes span over 60 meters in length. Despite enduring the vicissitudes of a thousand years, a large number of these Buddha statues have been well-preserved. There are now more than 240 statues remaining, along with 46 inscriptions. These inscriptions reveal that most of the statues were commissioned by local nobles, commoners, and monks during the early Tang Dynasty to pray for the well-being of their loved ones. There are also some carvings from the Song, Yuan, and Ming Dynasties. Although the creators of these statues were diverse, the majority of the statues are characterized by their delicate features, exquisite carving techniques, and high artistic achievement, making them outstanding among Buddha statues. The statues can be divided into three groups in terms of their distribution, with fewer carvings in the north, consisting of only two large caves, while most of the statues are carved in the south, where each niche typically contains one or two Buddha statues. The larger caves at the Thousand Buddhas Cliff have an irregular semi-circular planar shape, and the statues carved inside are all over 2 meters tall and are seated in a crossed-leg position. These statues, with their high coiled buns, handsome faces, and hands in the ‘fearlessness-bestowing mudra’, vividly depict the characteristics of Buddhas. If you are familiar with the sculptural art of different dynasties, you can clearly identify which dynasty each statue belongs to from their features. The site is open from 1/1 to 12/31 from 05:30 to 22:30.
Thousand Buddhas Cliff Grottoes
The Thousand Buddhas Cliff Grottoes span over 60 meters in length. Despite enduring the vicissitudes[...]
