Southern Cliff Buddhist Sculptures, Buddhist grotto and carved caves in Bazhong, China
The Southern Cliff near Bazhong is a massive rock temple with hundreds of artificially carved caves cut into limestone walls. Each cave holds multiple Buddhist statues and smaller niches that cover the entire rock face.
The carving began during the Sui Dynasty and continued through the Tang period, with additional work added until modern times. This long period of creation shows how successive generations left their mark at this site.
The carvings show Buddhist traditions through their garment styles and iconographic features you can observe while walking around. These artistic details reveal how people here expressed their faith centuries ago.
The site is about 1 kilometer south of Bazhong city center and is easily reached on foot. The caves are numbered and follow a logical sequence, making it straightforward to explore them.
One niche contains an unusual double-headed Buddha statue that stands apart from most other representations at the site. This artwork is easy to overlook, but it is an interesting detail for observant visitors.
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