Mahao cliff tomb

Mahao cliff tomb

Mahao cliff tomb is located on the East Bank of the overflow River between Lingyun and Wuyou mountains. Mahao is its place name. Cliff tomb is a kind of bionic human residence popular in Leshan in ancient times. It is a kind of tomb form of digging mountain for tomb.

Mahao cliff tombs, popular from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the southern and Northern Dynasties more than 1800 years ago, are called cliff tombs of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Mahao cliff tomb covers futouwan. It is about 200 meters long from east to west and 25 meters wide from top to bottom. There are 544 numbered cliff tombs. The tombs are stacked in layers and the gate is covered. It is as dense as a beehive, which is very spectacular.

Mahao cliff tomb group was announced as a national key cultural relics protection unit by the State Council in 1988. Mahao cliff tomb has become a museum of Han cliff tomb in Leshan. With Mahao cliff tomb as the main body and two exhibition halls in the north and south, the museum displays the unearthed cultural relics of Han Dynasty tombs, showing the general situation of Han Dynasty cliff tombs in Leshan.

Historical origin

Mahao cliff tomb

In his early years, he was known as "the head of famous tombs in Nan'an (ancient name of Leshan)" for his rich connotation and exquisite carving. There are many Han Dynasty buildings, chariots, horses, music, birds, animals, insects and fish in the tomb, as well as many historical myths, stone coffins and calligraphy inscriptions.

At the same time, there are also the earliest Buddhist stone statues left over from China and even the world. It is a concrete reflection of the integration of Han culture and early Indian Buddhist culture.

The cliff tombs are exquisitely carved with rich cultural relics, which are important material for the study of ancient society, politics, economy, culture and history.

geographical position

Cliff tombs from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the southern and Northern Dynasties in China. It is on the North Bank of Mahao River in Mingtong village, Leshan City, Sichuan Province. The tombs are distributed in the red sandstone cliff between Dadiwan and hutouwan, which is about 300 meters long from east to west. They are arranged in 4-9 layers, with a total of more than 330 tombs. Tombs began in the early Eastern Han Dynasty and ended in the northern and Southern Dynasties, with the most tombs in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. It was discovered in 1940. In the same year, the Institute of Chinese culture of Jinling University, led by Shang chengzuo, conducted a survey. In 1964, a wall was built outside tomb 1 for protection.

Cultural relics protection

Mahao cliff tomb, Leshan cliff tomb museum was established in 1984. In 1988, the State Council of the people's Republic of China announced it as a national key cultural relics protection unit.

Main structure

Mahao cliff tomb has three types of chambers: single chamber, double chamber and multi chamber. They are composed of tomb gate, corridor, main chamber, coffin chamber and ear chamber. In the coffin room, a cliff coffin was chiseled. The back room is equipped with a kitchen table niche. A coffin chamber is usually set on one side of the main chamber. There are coffin chambers on both sides of the back chamber.

The structure of the multi chambered tomb is complex. The door of the tomb is divided into 2-4 openings by two columns. The front chambers are arranged horizontally, and 2-4 back chambers are excavated in parallel. The structure of each back room is the same, with corridor in front and rooms on both sides.

Relief art

Stone inscriptions are commonly seen in the door and front chamber of double chambered tombs and multi chambered tombs. The techniques include high relief, arc relief and shadow carving, and the contents include imitation wood architecture, portraits and inscriptions.

The door and front chamber of tomb No. The gate of the tomb is engraved with images of auspicious animals, musicians, secret dramas and dancers, and the front room is engraved with images of Jing Ke assassinating the king of Qin, alchemists, pawns, rosefinches, chariots, Liubo, fishing and horses. On the square of the outer door of the middle and back room corridor, there is a high relief sitting Buddha, with a height of 37 cm. It is one of the early Buddhist statues in China.

Tomb No. 99 is a tomb with four back rooms and a horizontal front room. The door of the tomb is carved with a gate and a que. The front room is carved with tile, slate, rafter head, eaves and dragon and tiger opera Bi. There are 9 inscriptions on the back door.

Theft

Most of the cliff tombs were stolen in the early years. The burial objects include pottery figurines of farmers, costumes, kitchens, dancers and musicians, models of dogs, chickens, horses and buildings, utensils such as pots, bowls, cauldrons, steamers and ear cups, bronze mirrors, "five baht" coins and ironware.

Address: Shizhong District, Leshan City (between Lingyun and Wuyou mountains)

Longitude: 103.77255249023

Latitude: 29.529857635498

Ticket information: no ticket required. Included in the package ticket of Leshan Giant Buddha (90 yuan)

Chinese PinYin : Ma Hao Ya Mu