With such heavy-handed restoration, this Tang Dynasty cliff carving is ruined.

The Xiyanshi Cliff Carvings in Zitong may not be particularly famous, but they happened to be on the way to the Two Bombs City, so I decided to visit. I thought it would be right by the road, but it turned out to be near the top of the mountain, requiring a 20-minute hike up a steep staircase. · Xiyanshi Temple dates back to the Tang and Song Dynasties and was once an important center for the spread of Buddhist culture. However, the temple you see today has been recently rebuilt and is still undergoing expansion. Many local believers come here to worship, and there was a group performing Buddhist rituals in the main hall. · The most noteworthy historical relic at Xiyanshi Temple is the cliff carvings behind the temple. Carved into a yellow sandstone cliff face 55 meters wide and 20 meters high, these carvings face west to east and consist of five niches containing 99 statues. An inscription from the 20th year of the Zhenyuan period of the Tang Dynasty (804 AD) between Niches 1 and 5 suggests that the Xiyanshi Cliff Carvings were created during the Tang Dynasty. · Honestly, my first impression of the cliff carvings was extremely disappointing. Niches 1, 2, and 5 have clearly been recently re-sculpted with a cartoonish style, completely obscuring the original appearance of the niches. Niche 3 seems relatively well-preserved. According to the introduction, it originally housed statues of Sakyamuni Buddha and attendant Bodhisattvas, but these were damaged. The three main statues you see now were restored in 1980 and are not the originals. Only the damaged flying apsaras and decorative patterns within the niche are original. · The only original main statue remaining is in Niche 4, which contains seven statues: one Buddha, two disciples, two Bodhisattvas, and two guardian figures. The Buddha and disciples are fully sculpted, with spiral topknots, halos, and kasayas. They sit cross-legged on lotus platforms, left hands resting on their knees, and right hands holding mani beads. The two Bodhisattvas have halos, jeweled crowns, and necklaces. The lintel of the niche is decorated with scroll patterns. Unfortunately, even Niche 4's original features are completely obscured by the crude and brightly colored restoration. · Besides the cliff carvings, there are some inscriptions from the Republican era and what appears to be Ming Dynasty graffiti on the cliff face. Overall, Xiyanshi Temple has very little to offer and was quite disappointing. No wonder it's not even a provincial-level protected site despite being a Tang Dynasty cliff carving. · 🏠 Name | Xiyanshi Cliff Carvings 🎫 Tickets | Free ⛳ Address | Shengdile Village, Jingkai District, Zitong County, Mianyang City 🚗 Transportation | Navigate to "Zitong Xiyanshi Temple"