Zhongshan Grottoes (Part 2), Zichang City, Shaanxi

The main altar base of Zhongshan Grottoes features three groups of 14 large stone sculptures, with the principal Buddha statues representing Sakyamuni as the Buddhas of Three Periods - past, present, and future. The Sakyamuni statue, standing 3.54 meters tall, was carved directly from the rock and seamlessly integrated with the altar base. In front of the altar stand Manjusri Bodhisattva riding a lion and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva riding a white elephant. Sakyamuni sits in full lotus position on a waisted Sumeru throne adorned with upward-facing lotus petals. Flanking Sakyamuni are his two principal disciples: the elder Mahakasyapa and the younger Ananda, both standing on lotus pedestals and measuring 2.5 meters in height. The eastern and western ends of the altar each feature an attendant Bodhisattva. The altar is surrounded by eight square stone pillars (1m×1m×5m) that connect the floor to the ceiling, originally left as support structures during the cave's excavation. Every surface - the pillars and all four walls - is completely covered with multiple layers of Buddhist-themed relief carvings, leaving no empty space.