Anyue: A Road To Stone Wonders
Updated: 2007-09-03 08:59
Sleeping-Buddha Temple
The Sleeping-Buddha Temple is located in Bamiao Village about 40 kilometers from the county seat of Anyue.
Construction of the Sleeping-Buddha Temple started in the Tang Dynasty and lasted to the period of the Five Dynasties. It boasts 139 grottos housing 1,600 statues carved along 500 meters of cliffs. The most magnificent site is the "Nirvana of the Left-Reclining Sakyamuni," the world's largest left-reclining Buddha.
This huge statue was carved out of a cliff 5 meters high on the northern slope of the temple. The Buddha is 23 meters long; his head alone is 3 meters long. With his feet pointed west, the Buddha faces south, with a lotus flower pillow supporting his head. He has a high nose and deep-set eyes, half closed to give him a solemn expression. He wears a thin kasaya, with hands stretched out horizontally and feet bared.
Besides, there are also 15 grottos of 22 kinds of stone-inscribed sutras with more than 400,000 words, which are of important value for the study of sutra editions. On January 13,1985, the cliff bas-reliefs of the Sleeping-Buddha Temple were listed by the State Council as one of the 3rd group of the state-protected major units of cultural relics.
Pilu Cave
Perhaps the most exquisite and best-preserved cave is Pilu Cave. Founded in the early Song Dynasty, it is located on Mount Tazi in Shiyang Town, more than 50 kilometers southeast of the Anyue County. A provincial highway between Anyue County and Dazu County passes nearby.
About 6.6 meters high, 14 meters wide, and 4.6 meters deep, Pilu Cave has 14 niche-grottos with 465 statues. The most exquisite statue is the "Purple Bamboo Guanyin" in Grotto 19.
Another special grotto is the one with statues depicting Liu Benzun as a lay Buddhist who devised 10 methods to cultivate himself to attain Buddha status. Ten carvings show Liu Benzun standing barefoot in snow, gouging out his eyes, cutting off his ears and arms, and so on. In each picture, Liu Benzun is depicted as the main figure, with smaller Heavenly Kings, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and officials watching. The prominence given to Liu Benzun makes the carvings even more graphic.
Huayan Cave
Originated in the Song Dynasty, Huayan Cave is located on Mount Xianggai in Chiyun Village, which is 6 kilometers east of Pilu Cave. It preserves two large niche-grottos housing 159 statues, including the "Three Huayan Kings," "Ten Stages of Mahayana Bodhisattva Development," and "Fifty-three Visits of Sudhana." Also, there is a grotto reflecting a combination of Buddhism , Daoism, and Confucianism. The statues in Huayan Cave are of the highest quality in Anyue and have important status in Chinese art history.
Mingshan Temple
Mingshan Temple, located on Mount Hutou in Minyue Village, is 69 kilometers southeast of the Anyue County. Founded in the Song Dynasty, Mingshan Temple has over 20 niche-grottos with 63 statues and 23 stele inscriptions, including "Virocina Buddha," "Guanyin," "Mahasthama," "Manjusri," "Twelve Lokapalas," "Virocina Buddha Accompanying Emperor of East Peak," and so on.
