The carvings at Ciyunling are located between the stone walls on the southern slope of Ciyunling on Yuhuang Mountain. In 942, the seventh year of Tianfu in the Later Jin Dynasty of the Five Dynasties, when King Qian Hongchu of Wuyue built Zixian Temple, these carvings were carved. Now the temple no longer exists, but the rock wall carvings are well preserved. There are two niches, large and small. As they have a history of a thousand years and belong to precious cultural relics of the Buddhist upsurge in the Five Dynasties period, they are of great research value.
The main niche faces west and sits east. The niche is horizontally long, 10 meters wide and 5.8 meters high. There are seven statues in the niche. Amitabha is in the center. On the left is Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and on the right is Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva. Together they are called ‘Three Statues of Amitabha’. There are also two Bodhisattvas and two Heavenly Kings on both sides.
The small niche faces south and sits north. It is 2.6 meters high and 2.3 meters wide. In the center is carved the seated statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva with a bald head and big ears and a solemn appearance. There are attendants standing on both sides. The lintel of the niche is embossed with ‘Six Paths of Transmigration’.
Opening hours: open all day throughout the year.
