Mount Qixia

Moss clings to jade-green houses, trees hide crimson pillars. Stream reflections float beneath mountain shadows, mountain echoes carry through valley streams, as winds pass and dew settles, sunlight filters through rosy clouds. Emperor Yuan of Liang's "Inscription at Qixia Temple on Mount She" captures the ethereal essence of Mount Qixia. The Thousand Buddha Cliff Grottoes at Mount Qixia epitomize the artistic prosperity of the Southern Dynasties. While the mid-to-late Northern Dynasties' grotto style represents a fusion of Central Asian and Chinese elements, the origin of Chinese aesthetics can be traced to the Six Dynasties' four great masters: Cao, Gu, Lu, and Zhang. The Thousand Buddha Cliff Grottoes' construction began during the Yongming era of the Qi Dynasty. The sculptural style incorporates both Lu Tanwei's elegant and refined approach and Zhang Sengyou's short-faced, vibrant characteristics. The clothing styles evolved from loose-fitting robes with wide belts to form-fitting garments, suggesting possible connections between the Northern Qi's "wet drapery" style and Southern Dynasty aesthetics. The famous flying apsara in Cave 102, with its floating ribbons, free brushwork, and subtle circular movements, likely dates from after the rise of Wu Daozi and Zhou Fang's fame. The densely-eaved pagoda beside the Thousand Buddha Cliff features exquisite Eight-Face Buddha story carvings from the Five Dynasties period, showcasing Dunhuang-style apsaras with remarkably refined stone carving techniques, making it a rare masterpiece. Qixia Temple served as the southern ancestral temple of the Sanlun school, while the largest statue group in the Thousand Buddha Cliff depicts the Three Saints of the West, creating a fascinating blend of Chan Buddhism and Pure Land Buddhism on one mountain. The Buddha statues at the Thousand Buddha Cliff have suffered severe damage, not only from natural weathering of quartz sandstone but primarily from two devastating raids by the Taiping Army and subsequent looting over the following century - a truly regrettable loss.