Bazhong Grottoes

Bazhong Grottoes

Bazhong Grottoes began in the Liang and Wei dynasties, continued to be engraved in the Sui Dynasty, and flourished in the Tang Dynasty. Later, they were added to form today's colorful, exquisite, row by row grottoes. They are the key cultural relics protection units in China. There are 59 caves with more than 500 niches and more than 8000 statues. Among them, the South niches, North niches, West niches and Shuining temple are the best preserved and the most exquisite.

Bazhong grottoes are rich in content, with distinctive artistic style and characteristics. The statues are carved and painted on the basis of various figures in the Tang Dynasty. They have both form and spirit, and the niche lintels are exquisite and highly decorative.

Bazhong used to be the necessary place of Micang Road, the main traffic road between the north and the south, which was very prosperous in the Tang and Song dynasties. People from all over the world opened statues and decorated inscriptions here, leaving behind exquisite stone carvings. These grottoes are not only the physical evidence of Chinese civilization, but also the important material for the study of Chinese history, culture, art and religion.

brief introduction

According to the survey from 2000 to 2001, there are 59 grottoes, more than 500 niches and more than 8000 statues in Bazhong City. Among them, there are 19 Buddhist statues in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, with more than 450 niches and more than 7000 statues. They are distributed in the southern niches, northern niches, Western niches and Eastern niches around Bazhong City, Shuining temple and Qianfo cliff in Shuining Town, Shaxi in Xingwen Town, Longmen Village and foyewan in Sanjiang Township, as well as in Enyang town Qianfoya and foeryan, Shimen temple in Huacheng Town, foeryan in Mashi Township, Aoji temple in Sanhui Township, foyewan in Lailong Township, foeryan in Yujing Township, fodongwan in zengkou Town, foframed Bay and foeryan in Ganquan Township, etc. Most of these caves were created in the Tang Dynasty, and a few were excavated in the Sui Dynasty. The niche statues are mainly Buddhist statues, and there are a few Buddhist niche statues and Confucian, Taoist and folk statues from Ming and Qing Dynasties to the Republic of China.

Among them, Nankan, xikan, Shuining temple and beikan are the best preserved and the most exquisite. There are extant "Yanwu Zou Biao" of Tang Dynasty, which records the origin of the statues in Nankan, a stele of Sakyamuni Buddha in the spring of the 28th year of Kaiyuan, and inscriptions and chronological inscriptions of the cliff statues in Shuining temple, xikan and beikan.

Bazhong Grottoes attach great importance to the carving and painting of niches. Many house shaped caves have been designed, carved with flowers and plants, animals, gods, Buddha and other patterns. At the same time, the niches were painted in green, red, white, pink, blue and earth red to make them fresh, exquisite and magnificent. The exquisite Grottoes add profound cultural landscape to Bazhong

main features

Bazhong grottoes are mainly Buddhist statues with vivid characters and unique ingenuity. The Buddha's expression is kind and solemn; the Bodhisattva's body is graceful and natural; the warrior's image is majestic and vigorous; the flying sky's image is exquisitely carved and simple. Nankan No. 116 is a masterpiece of Bazhong grottoes. Niche 27 meters high, 42 meters wide, cave 93 body statue, lifelike. Sakyamuni is fond of preaching and preaching. All the Bodhisattvas listen attentively, with different postures, full of a strong flavor of life. On the lintel of the niche, the six flying Apsaras are in high spirits, playing zither, flute and flute, dancing and ready to come out. The king of heaven is brave and strong with straw sandals. The local characteristics and customs of northern Sichuan are very prominent.

Bazhong, Sichuan Province, with a long history, has rich cultural heritage, especially in more than 60 places such as Nankan, xikan, beikan, Shuining temple and Longmenshan. More than 10000 grottoes are the best preserved and the most exquisite.

Bazhong grottoes were excavated in Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, and a few were excavated from Song Dynasty to Ming Dynasty. Mainly Buddhist statues. The main contents include "piluzana Buddha", "five Buddhas", "seven Buddhas", "three Buddhas", "Sakya Duobao", "pharmacist Buddha", "one Buddha, two Bodhisattvas, two heavenly kings, two powerful persons, eight heavenly dragons", "Sakya sayings", "stories of Thousand Buddhas themselves", "stories of Buddhist historical sites", "Ruyi wheel Guanyin", "dizang Bodhisattva", "Pishan heavenly king", etc "Stupa" and so on. Bazhong Grottoes have distinctive artistic styles and characteristics, especially the "separate Buddha", "king of straw sandals", "koliti mother", "flying sky" and the beautifully decorated and luxurious lintels, which are unique in art. They are unique in the national grottoes.

As Bazhong is located in Daba mountain area, why did it leave so many Grottoes? What are the themes, statue features and artistic features of Bazhong Grottoes?

A wonder on Micang Road

Geographically, Bazhong is located at the south foot of Micang mountain in the northeast of Sichuan Province. It is a necessary place for the ancient north-south traffic road "Micang road" and an important road from the Central Plains to Sichuan. It connects Chang'an in the north, from xingyuanfu (now Nanzheng) in Hanzhong to Bazhou (now Nanjiang), and then from Bazhou to the hinterland of Sichuan. It was this road that emperor Xizong of Tang Dynasty took when he entered Sichuan, and it was especially developed in Tang and Song dynasties. The famous silk road went south from the western regions to Hexi Corridor, then from Chang'an Road to Qinzhou (now Tianshui in the south of Gansu Province), and to the southeast to xingyuanfu The southern section of Cangdao meets Bazhong, from Sanjiang Town of Bazhong to Chongqing, and then to the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. According to historical records, in the northern and Southern Dynasties, monks and merchants followed this road from the western regions to the south of the Yangtze River via Hexi.

The stop of many important figures in history also promoted the prosperity of Bazhong Grottoes art. Both Emperor Xuanzong and Emperor Xizong of Tang Dynasty once entered Sichuan, and Emperor Xizong also passed Bazhong and brought some Buddha statues. In the fourth year of Zhonghe period, Zhang, a senior official who came to Sichuan with Fu Zong, once built a Buddha statue in the South niche of Bazhou District. In particular, Yan Wu, who came to Sichuan with Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and was demoted to be the governor of Bazhou, made sculptures of Avalokitesvara, built a new dragon palace, built a temple, and won the name of Guangfu temple for Nankan in a few years, which played a positive role in promoting the prosperity of Bazhong Grottoes art. In addition, from the inscriptions and poems left by Bazhou grottoes, we can see that there are many foreign officials, scholars, merchants, monks and so on who have opened Grottoes in Bazhou to make statues, decorate inscriptions, and recite poems.

Bazhong Grottoes flourished in the Tang Dynasty. At that time, the royal family, dignitaries and civilians believed in Buddhism. Many of Bazhong Grottoes statues were based on Buddhist scriptures. Bazhong grottoes are widely distributed, especially the South niche, West niche, North niche, Shuining temple, Shimen temple, Shaxi, Longmen and other cliff sculptures in Bazhou District are well preserved. There are statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, Tianlong Babu, liudaodizang samsara, Bodhi ruifo, guizimu, Ruyi lunguanyin, Pishan heavenly king, and tuoluojingchuang in the South niche, as well as the Western Pure Land Change and Pishan Heavenly King niches which were very popular at that time. Shuining temple has 38 statues of ink crows in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, including 316 statues. Among them, niches No. 1-9 are the most exquisite and artistic niches in the existing Grottoes in Bazhou. In the west, there are Maitreya, seven Buddha and Sakyamuni sitting together. In the north, there are three Western saints, pharmacist Buddha and twelve medicine fork generals. These vivid statues, wonderful descriptions and wonderful decorations constitute the most beautiful art of stone carving Bazhong grottoes.

Gems of stone carving art

Bazhong grottoes are deeply influenced by the northern grotto art in terms of statue features and character styles. They not only follow the grotto art styles of Chang'an and Luoyang in Tang Dynasty, but also differ from them in terms of niche forms and statue contents.

Most of the niches in Bazhong are double niches. The outer niches are rectangular, open and flat top. The inner niches have three forms: plain round arch niches, round arch niches with peach shaped lintel and Buddha tent niches. In particular, the Buddha tent is different from the early Buddha tent in the north. The most popular niche in the north is the vertical tent, while Bazhong is more complex than the northern Buddha tent. Such as shanhuajiaoye Buddha tent and Tiangong Pavilion Buddha tent, they not only show the Buddha tent by hanging curtain pattern and tassels, but also carve a complete Buddha tent in a square niche. On the top of it, the decorations of mountain flowers, banana leaves and jewels sometimes look like tiles, and some even carve tiles and ridges, which look like eaves. In the xikan grottoes of Fenggu mountain, about one kilometer to the west of Bazhou City, No. 54 Sakyamuni niche is a typical Temple Pavilion shaped Buddha tent niche. The Tiangong Pavilion on the side of the niche is the same as the real Pavilion, which is often regarded by scholars as a specimen of ancient architecture in Tang Dynasty.

As for the decoration of niches, the top of niches is decorated with double eaves, and under the double eaves are hung curtains and bells, forming niches lintels. After the master, the bodhi tree, Tianlong Babu and Feitian are often carved in relief. The lintel and pillar of the niche are decorated with honeysuckle, rolled grass, lotus, tuanhua and Baozhu. The most common combination forms include one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas, one Buddha and two disciples, two Bodhisattvas and two heavenly kings, and the single niche statues of the heavenly king and Bodhisattva. Its beautifully carved lintels and pillars are the most attractive, especially the wall decorated with double bodhi trees, which is unique in Bazhong. The bodhi tree has a special meaning in Buddhism. It is said that the Buddha subdued the demons and became Tao under the bodhi tree. Therefore, the bodhi tree is as miraculous as other relics of the Buddha and is valued and worshipped by people.

The style of characters in Bazhong Grottoes is influenced by the artistic style of Luoyang area in Chang'an of Tang Dynasty. The Buddha's face is plump, the body is big, and the Bodhisattva is elegant. Its images mostly reflect the appearance of round body, cherry mouth, waist twists and quiet created by Wu Zetian's era; the image of the strongman is powerful and brave; the image of the flying Apsaras is beautiful and exquisitely carved; many Buddhist statues are beautiful These exquisite sculptures reflect the culture, thought and stone carving skills of the Tang Dynasty, and fully reflect the gorgeous charm of the Tang Dynasty.

Double head of Nankan 83

Chinese PinYin : Ba Zhong Shi Ku