Niujiaozhai Rock Carvings

CHINA, Sichuan, Meishan

Located in Yingtou village, 35 km north of Renshou county, the rock carvings of Niujiaozhai are housed in a total of 101 niches. Ninety-five of these niches contain 1,395 Buddhist statues, while the other six contain 124 Daoist statues. There are 21 niches that are better preserved than the rest. The Niujiaozhai Rock Carvings were listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 2006.
The niches are inscribed with various dates, including the year 749 in Niche 53, the year 795 in Niche 13, and the year 1045 in Niche 18. Based on these inscriptions, it is estimated that construction of the caves began during the Tang (618–907) and Song (960–1279) dynasties.
Most of the Buddha statues have a usnisa and sit in full lotus position on either a lotus or Sumeru throne. The Bodhisattvas appear mostly as Avalokitesvara, either with a round face, headdress, and monastic robe, or standing barefoot with a headdress or topknot and a stole around the body. The Heavenly Kings wear armor with skirts around their waists, weapons in their hands, and boots on their feet. The warriors have their hair tied up in topknots and wear only a skirts with the upper bodies laid bare.
Among the Buddha and Bodhisattva statues is a large but incomplete sculpture of Maitreya Buddha standing 12.4 m high in Niche 30. A Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva in Niche 98 wears a headdress and robes. The chest is decorated with a beaded ornament, and the statue stands barefoot on a lotus pedestal. This representation of Avalokitesvara has 20 hands, two pairs of which have palms joined above the head and at the chest while the remaining hands hold Dharma instruments. Nearly 1,000 hands sculpted in 10 rings are depicted in low relief behind the statue.
Featured among the sutra illustrations are the Vimalakirti Sutra in Niche 1 and the Amitayurdhyana Sutra in Niches 2 and 21. Niche 47 contains both Buddhist and Daoist statues, reflecting the integration of both religions in this region.