Sichuan｜Anyue Stone Carvings｜Oriental Venus.

Anyue Rock Carvings were first carved during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and were popular during the Tang and Song Dynasties. They inherited the Yungang and Longmen Rock Carvings and preceded the Dazu Rock Carvings. Unlike the large-scale royal grottoes in the north, the grottoes in Sichuan and Chongqing were mainly excavated by civilian forces. They integrate folk stories with Buddhist and Taoist culture and are a reflection of the secular aesthetics of the time. There is a small temple on the Peacock Cave Mountain. In the temple there is a small Tang Dynasty pagoda. The temple is in ruins, but the pagoda is still there. There is a cowshed in front of the hall. Sweet sauerkraut is in full bloom in the yard. When the breeze blows, the small petals fly around. The fragrance of sweet osmanthus fills the yard, mixed with the smell of cow dung and green grass. The stone carvings of Mingshan Temple are on the side of the cliff. Looking over from the railing, you can see the lush greenery of the entire mountain and hear the noisy chirping of insects and birds. The stone Buddha statue has stood quietly for thousands of years, but it allows us to see the wind blowing from the Song Dynasty. The cultural relics protection uncle of Mingshan Temple has been interviewed many times. We first knew about Anyue stone carvings because of his interviews, but the life of the protection guard is still simple and hard. The most surprising thing is the Tapo Cliff Carvings, a provincial protected site. It was a hot summer when we arrived, and everyone went in sweating and fanning themselves. Although I didn’t catch the sunset, I was still speechless by the beauty of the statues of the Three Holy Avatamsaka in the cave. The stone sculpture of Purple Bamboo Guanyin in Pilu Cave is known as the "Oriental Venus". The small statues of donors in the Pilu Cave are very cute. They are in various postures, and three of them are taking a nap, which are very lifelike. The Lotus-Handed Guanyin statue in Yuanjue Cave and the Twelve Bodhisattvas of Yuanjue in Huayan Cave made the trip to Anyue to visit ancient sites without much preparation, but it was very touching. I always remember the words: the giant Buddha rose from the clouds. It was originally in the air, but was seen by the world through the hands of the sculptor. ✅Road conditions: The road conditions were good throughout the journey and cars could pass smoothly. ❗️There is a very steep slope near the tower slope, and the road is very narrow (p7 ❗️You can go to Mingshan Temple later, there is no ticket. If you encounter a lot of people in the last section, it is difficult to miss the bus and you will be stuck in a long queue. ✅Route Chengdu➠🛻2.5 hours➠Reclining Buddha Temple➠🛻40 minutes➠Yuanjue Cave➠🛻1 hour➠Tapo➠🛻25 minutes➠Bilu Cave➠🛻15 minutes➠Huayan Cave➠🛻20 minutes➠(Peacock Cave)➠Mingshan Temple