Shisunshan Rock Carvings

CHINA, Sichuan, Chengdu

Located in Dafowan, 32 km west of Qionglai, these caves are located on a west-facing cliffside more than 120 km long. There are 33 niches containing 739 sculptures. According to an inscription in Niche 32, most of the caves were constructed during the Mid-Tang period (756–846). The carvings were listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 2006.
The sculptures include Buddha Triads, Avatamsaka Triads, representations of Maitreya Buddha, Avalokitesvara, Vaisravana, illustration of the Vimalakirti Sutra, depictions of the Buddha teaching the Dharma, and illustration of the Western Pure Land. The depictions of the Buddha teaching the Dharma mostly consist of a Buddha, two disciples, and two Bodhisattvas, although some also contain warriors or Heavenly Kings. The niches depicting the Western Pure Land or an Avatamsaka Triad often have a Buddha and two attending Bodhisattvas in high relief, while the disciples and other figures are in bas-relief.
The sutra illustration niches are exquisitely sculpted, often with stories and scenes on different tiers vividly portraying the content of the sutras. For example, the illustration of the Vimalakirti Sutra in Niche 20 recreates scenes from the “Chapter on Buddha Land,” “Chapter on the Disciples,” “Chapter on Accumulated Fragrance Buddha,” and “Chapter on Observing Living Beings” around the main figures, Vimalakirti and Manjusri Bodhisattva.
Some niches contain only a single sculpture, such as Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva or Vaisravana, which are popular figures in Sichuan. The style of these sculptures is similar to that of other caves constructed during this period.