[2025 Anyue Attraction] Travel Guide for Pilu Cave Stone Carving Statue (Updated Jul)

Arriving at Pilu Cave in the afternoon, the sun was blazing, casting a bright light over the open space in front of Guanyin Hall. After our visit, we hid under the shade of a tree, unwilling to leave. 📍Pilu Cave is located in Shiyang Town, Anyue County, Ziyang, Sichuan. Starting from the town, you need to go around the small town and then walk along a rural dirt road with many twists and turns to reach Pilu Cave. The difficulty of visiting ancient sites is often felt when visiting the Anyue Stone Carvings. ▪️The Pilu Cave statues were carved from the Song Dynasty through the Ming and Qing Dynasties, featuring 465 cliff carvings, 14 steles, 18 inscriptions, and 1 ancient building. 🌈The most important grottoes include: ✔️Purple Bamboo Guanyin: A "single-eyelid young woman" sitting very relaxed and leisurely on the cliff wall. Her posture is graceful, with a slight tilt of her lowered eyebrows, square shoulders, her arm resting naturally on the knee of her raised right leg. She wears celestial robes, with the sleeves flowing down along the throne, her gentle demeanor truly unforgettable. ✔️Liu Benzun’s Ten Refinements Painting Liu Benzun (Tang Dynasty), surname Liu, given name Juzhi, is respectfully called "Benzun" by followers, a title used in Esoteric Buddhism. The Ten Refinements Painting grotto centers on the story of his arduous path to Buddhahood through "ten refinements," such as sacrificing an arm, symbolizing self-abandonment and dedication to others, refining the mind, and achieving spiritual purification through inner cultivation, highlighting the spirit of self-sacrifice in pursuit of the Dharma. ✔️Thousand Buddha Grotto The entire lower part of this niche is carved with 316 small Buddha statues. From a distance, they seem similar in form, but up close, each has its own personality. Notably, a small Buddha dozing off is especially adorable, nestled on one side of the cliff, secretly sleeping. It’s hard to imagine how interesting the craftsman who carved this Buddha must have been! There are also Youju Cave and Jade Emperor Cave, which together make up all the stone carvings of Pilu Cave. While we were reluctant to leave, we met a group of tourists led by an elderly man who guided them to the Purple Bamboo Guanyin and brought two chairs for the elderly in the group to sit and admire the statue. We initially thought the elderly man was just a regular staff member, but then he began to explain the Purple Bamboo Guanyin loudly, using expressive hand gestures and a powerful, rhythmic tone that inspired everyone. The sunshine has passed over this beautiful statue for a thousand years, generation after generation, people come and go, moving toward eternity. 🌈Pilu Cave Visit Tips: 📍Address: Shiyang Town, Anyue County, Ziyang, Sichuan 🚘Navigation: Pilu Cave ⌚️Opening Hours: 09:00-17:00 🎫Ticket: 18 RMB ▪️Fifth Batch of National Cultural Heritage Protection Units

Anyue Rock Carvings Many caves are misnamed. The best part of Pilu Cave isn't the Pilu Buddha, but the Water Moon Guanyin. The best part of Yuanjue Cave isn't the Twelve Yuanjue, but One Buddha and Two Bodhisattvas. Yuanjue Cave is the most easily accessible of all the Anyue rock carvings. It's the kind of place where there are no traffic jams for self-driving, it's in the city center, and even buses can reach it. The "ancient, numerous, exquisite, and beautiful" qualities of Anyue rock carvings are concentrated in Yuanjue Cave. Before leaving Anyue, you must visit Yuanjue Cave. 🗿About Yuanjue Cave The statues are mainly from the Tang Dynasty, Five Dynasties, and Song Dynasty. Because the Yuanjue Cave inside was very famous in those years, it was named after it. But very ironically, in that special era, the heads of the Twelve Yuanjue were artificially destroyed, and now they are all replacements, which is very sad. 📸Highlights ✅Tang Pagoda: A Mi Yan-style pagoda that was very popular in the Tang Dynasty. ✅One Buddha and Two Bodhisattvas: One Buddha (Pinch-Flower Buddha) + Guanyin of the Holy Water Vase + Lotus Hand Guanyin. You can always trust the aesthetics of the Song Dynasty. They are incredibly beautiful. ✅Sudhana: Have you ever seen Sudhana with a beard who is getting on in years? ✅Apsaras: On both sides of the heads of Pinch-Flower Buddha and Guanyin of the Holy Water Vase. ✅Rock caves of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms: Below the cliff with the words "Turtle and Crane", the "Hell Transformation Niche", "Thousand Buddha Niche", and "Western Three Saints" are the most famous. 📌Tips: Go straight ahead from the "Turtle and Crane" cliff to the newly built imitation caves, which copy the famous rock caves in the safety zone. It is recommended not to waste your energy on the poorly made ones. But the good outweighs the bad. The CNY 28 ticket for Yuanjue Cave is really worth it.

| A Millennium Stone Carving Secret, Home to an Unsolved "Celestial Book Couplet." 🚩 Historical Significance Pilu Temple, located in Anyue County, Sichuan, was first built during the Later Shu period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (Guangzheng 24th year), with a history of over a thousand years! It is not only an important site for Sichuan Esoteric Buddhism but also one of the core representatives of the "Anyue Stone Carvings," boasting 465 exquisite statues, including the famous Liu Benzun's "Ten Refinements" grotto. It tells the story of layman Liu Benzun's arduous cultivation to become a Buddha in the late Tang Dynasty. There are only three such sites in the country, making it extremely precious! 🔍 Mysterious "Celestial Book Couplet" Outside the temple, there are two couplets. Legend has it that one who can match the second line will receive a treasure! The first couplet has been deciphered: "Neither outside nor inside nor in the middle" matches "Not a celestial nor a Buddha nor a thing," full of Zen wisdom. However, the second couplet remains unsolved to this day. The characters resemble "bird and animal script" or "dragon and phoenix script," leaving even experts scratching their heads, making it one of the most difficult couplets in China! 🎨 Pinnacle of Stone Carving Art The Thousand Buddha Cave in Pilu Temple is incredibly stunning! The 316 small Buddha statues in the circular niches are engraved with the names of the donors, each holding different objects, full of secular interest. The main Buddha, the Three Saints of Huayan (or the Three Saints of the West), is solemn and exquisite, with flowing robes and delicate jewelry. The Song Dynasty carving technique reached its peak, earning it the reputation of being "ancient, numerous, exquisite, and beautiful." 💡 Travel Tips - 📍 Address: Youping Village, Shiyang Town, Anyue County, Sichuan - 🎫 Ticket Price: CNY 20 (including three incense sticks) - 🕒 Best Time to Visit: Spring and autumn, avoid the hot summer - 📸 Must-See: Liu Benzun's Ten Refinements Grotto, Purple Bamboo Guanyin, Thousand Buddha Cave ✨ Summary Pilu Temple is not just a temple but a three-dimensional history of Buddhist art! Mysterious couplets, millennium stone carvings, treasure legends… every step is like deciphering history. If you love cultural exploration, this place is definitely worth a special trip!