Shizhongshan Grottoes

Shizhongshan Grottoes

Shizhongshan grottoes, located in the branch of Shibaoshan, Jianchuan County, Yunnan Province, were excavated from 738 to 1253 ad, and a few works of yuan and Ming Dynasties. There are beautiful mountains and rivers and jagged rocks. In March, Shibaoshan was covered with green pines and thick shade. Looking from afar, shizhongshan looks like the head of the Tathagata. The flower like protrusions are more like the curly hair on the head of the Tathagata. Perhaps the ancients were willing to open caves because of this wonderful scenery.

Xu Xiake, a Chinese knight errant, once came here. He said in the story of you Shi Bao Shan: "the stone surface is like a dragon scale." As he traveled all over China, he could not help but be surprised!

Historical evolution

Shizhongshan grottoes, also known as Jianchuan grottoes, is a national key cultural relic protection unit. It is located at Wenfeng, 25 kilometers southwest of Jianchuan County, in the south of Shibaoshan. It is named after a purple red danyan (Danxia landform) shaped like a inverted bell.

There are three Grottoes in Shizhong mountain, including eight in Shizhong temple, three in Shiziguan and six in Shadeng village. There are 139 statues in 30 areas. These stone statues are carved on red sandstone. These statues, with the development history of Nanzhao state as the main content, construct a vivid picture of Nanzhao history.

In the history of Nanzhao for more than 200 years, the three kings with outstanding achievements have statues in the grottoes. Among the 139 statues in the shizhongshan grottoes, besides the statues of historical figures in Nanzhao, there are Buddhist statues such as shiyimuni and the eight Ming kings, as well as the statues of woodcutter, old man, zither player, boy and female genitalia reflecting people's daily life. These statues are lifelike and full of folk life.

Excellent Art

There are 17 caves with 139 statues in shizhongsi, Shiziguan and shadengqing districts. They are the art treasures of Nanzhao and Dali dynasties.

Shizhongshan Grottoes have a history of more than 1000 years from Nanzhao (Tang Dynasty) to Dali (Song Dynasty). It is the earliest Grottoes in Yunnan. More and more people have paid attention to the historical, scientific and artistic value of this group of grottoes. In particular, the only female genitalia sculpture in China (a'angbai in Bai Language) appeared in the group of statues with the theme of Buddha and king, which has aroused great concern of relevant scholars and experts of the United nations. In the feudal society, why to carve this object among the Buddha statues has aroused a strong debate. Some people say that it was made at random because of unsuccessful carving at the beginning; some say it is the product of regional worship of ethnic minorities; some say it is an object of worship for women to seek their children; some say that the stone named Shizhong mountain is not only shaped like a bell, but also like a male genital glans, which was made by heaven In order to seek the balance between yin and Yang, the ancients artificially created the female genitalia. Some people say that it reflects the law of life.

Cultural relics protection

It's true that different people have different opinions. In March 1961, the State Council announced the shizhongshan Grottoes as the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

There is also a Baoxiang temple in Shizhong mountain. On the 27th to 29th day of the lunar calendar every month, traditional love song singing activities will be held here. At that time, young men and women of Bai nationality in Dali, Lijiang, Eryuan, Lanping and other seven counties and cities will wear festival costumes and play love songs with three strings. Through these songs, they will make a lifelong commitment to find a satisfactory partner. Such a song party will be held for three days and three nights.

There are eight niches in the Shizhong temple area. The first and second grottoes are carved with Nanzhao King statues, which are important material materials for the study of Nanzhao history, and are the focus of the whole grottoes. The third to seventh grottoes are carved with Buddha statues, which are exquisitely carved and beautiful in shape. They are some of the most artistic grottoes. There are three Grottoes in Shiziguan district. One is a statue of the whole family of Nanzhao king, commonly known as "family photo"; the other is a statue of "drunk ghost"; the third is a man with deep eyes and high nose, engraved with the word "Persian", who is actually a monk of Tianzhu (today's India). There are six Grottoes in shadengqing district. The statues of the king of heaven and the king of heaven are carved in the crevice of the cliff of Jiazi temple. They are 2 meters high and majestic.

Main features

The grottoes were excavated in Nanzhao and Dali periods. The largest and well preserved group of Grottoes in Yunnan is the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. According to the contents reflected, there are mainly the following two types:

1 - the history of Nanzhao

The first cave of Shiziguan and the first and second caves of Shizhong Temple respectively depict the images of three dynasties of Nanzhao kings. Nanzhao, a local regime that had a great influence on the southwest frontier, began with the cultivation of Weishan by the small Nu Luo, and made arduous efforts with the support of the Tang Dynasty; when GE Luo Feng and Tubo defeated the Tang army in the Xi'er River, it began to develop; when Yimou Xun was prosperous, it returned to the Tang Dynasty and expanded its territory. The author of the grottoes carefully selected the three emperors and artistically expressed the history of Nanzhao.

Dozens of steps to the right side of Shiziguan pass, a huge tongue shaped stone is seen, and a statue of the whole family of Nanzhao king is carved below. The cave is square, about 5 feet high and 4 feet wide, with simple steps and stone railings carved in front of it. The lower part of the cave is a stone platform, on which five statues are carved. The left end is the king and the right end is the princess. They sit with arms folded. They are dignified, full-bodied, strong and powerful, with the unique rustic demeanor of the mountain people. In the middle and left and right of the king and the imperial concubine, there were two boys and one girl. There is a man and a woman at each end of the stone seat. The woman holds a fan and the man holds a pen. The interior furnishings are simple and close to the historical reality. There is an inscription on the middle wall behind the shoulder of the Princess: "the great sage Sheng, King Shuluo and his concubine's followers, etc., are changed into statues in Yuan Dynasty and recorded in Changning. "

Regional distribution

Sheng Shu Luo was suspected to be Du Luo Xiao, or Xi Nu Luo, who was the first leader of Nanzhao. Nanzhao unified Erhai area, and xinuluo was regarded as "the master". Today, the Wei Baoshan mountain patrol hall still has its statue. In Muping village, Jianchuan, northeast of Shizhong temple, people also call the statues of the king and imperial concubine in this cave their "masters". The layout of the statues in this cave is also similar to the composition of the local folk statues.

Shizhongsi grottoes, opposite to Shiziguan grottoes, are named because there are bell like stones in front of the grottoes. The first and second Grottoes here are also sculptures of kings. However, the momentum and furnishings are quite different. There are 16 statues in cave 2. The central figure is Ge Luofeng. He was wearing a fine carved crown, a round collar and wide sleeve robe, and sitting with his hands folded. The cushion on the dragon head chair was carved around, with Tassels and a layer of felt cushion on his back. The screen is carved with images of the sun and moon, and the flying dragon is in the air. Two lions crouch on their backs on the chair.

On the lower right of the king, there is a sitting statue, wearing cassock, holding rosary beads, and holding an umbrella behind him. Obviously, he is a monk of great status. This may be the younger brother of Ge Luofeng, Ge PI monk, who defeated Xian Yu Zhongtong in the war and led 60 people to represent Nanzhao to offer victory in Tubo, while Tubo sent Prime Minister Yi Xiang Ye le to Dengchuan with a large number of valuable materials, such as golden crown, jinpao, and an Qiansan (qubingsan), taking Nanzhao as his brother's country. On both sides of the king and the monk, there are six standing statues of attendants, some holding swords, some holding fans, and some holding flags. All of them are strong and powerful. A flag in the hands of a warrior flies in the wind, revealing the influence of Tubo. In the front of the cave, there are carved one official each, which is called Qingping official.

The characters in the hall are high and low, arranged in an orderly way, distinguished in dignity and inferiority, with a strong sense of three-dimensional. The whole scene, atmosphere, melody and sentiment are permeated with the thriving atmosphere of this regime. Sang yingdou, a Naxi poet 200 years ago, wrote: "Luofeng in Nanzhao Pavilion is like this valley. In the middle of the Tang Dynasty, Yao Wu was militarized. The clothes are Yefei, just like the emperor's clothes. "

Grotto scene

Cave 1 of Shizhong temple is also a statue of the king. Only the scene and atmosphere are not the same as those of the upper grottoes. Compared with the second cave, although the central figures are all kings, and the composition is slightly semicircular, there are many differences: the kings in the second cave are surrounded by strong and majestic generals; this cave is mostly loyal and kind-hearted ministers who know culture and martial arts, and there are followers holding books; the second cave has signs of attachment to Tubo, such as crank umbrella and five square flag, but this cave is no longer seen, only the incense table in front of zengwang From the details of the bamboo slips carved on the eaves of the caves, the seals, cane sticks and bamboo hat on the back, it is speculated that he was Yimou Xun who resolutely returned to the Tang Dynasty, and the two were Zheng Hui and Du Guangting, the officials of Qingping. According to historical records, Yimou Xun studied Han culture from Zheng Hui, and most of his officials knew the etiquette of the Central Plains. After returning to the Tang Dynasty, he sent a large number of Nanzhao children to study in the Central Plains. When Yimou Xun was in power, he paid attention to the development of production and defeated Tubo repeatedly, which was the heyday of Nanzhao.

Xi Nu Luo, Ge Luo Feng and Yi Mou Xun are three representative figures of Nanzhao kingdom. It is not only a treasure of Nanzhao art, but also a valuable national historical material, which provides valuable information for future generations to study the politics, military, culture, even clothing and fashion of Nanzhao.

2 - vivid religious figures

The most statues in the grottoes are religious figures. Such as Guanyin, Ananda, JIAYE, Manjusri, Puxian, eight famous kings, Duowen heavenly king, Changchang heavenly king and so on. Most of these images are exquisitely carved, vivid and have their own personalities. The same is Guanyin. Under the hands of the sculptors, the images are different, such as sad face watching, Ganlu (laparotomy) Guanyin, thin waist Guanyin and so on.

Historical legend

The development of grottoes has a long history. Archaeological survey data show that as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the ancestors engaged in fishing and hunting activities here, and built wooden and bone mud structure houses. Shizhong mountain

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