Guangyuan Thousand Buddha Cliffside Statues [gj.yuanlin.com] |
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- Location: Guangyuan City, Sichuan Province
Situated on the east bank of the Jialing River, 4 kilometers north of Guangyuan, Sichuan Province, the Thousand Buddha Cliffside Statues (广元千佛崖摩崖造像) is the largest group of grottoes in Sichuan. It once had more than 17,000 statues on the cliff, but half were destroyed in 1935 to make way for the Sichuan - Shaanxi Road. Now, there are more than 400 shrines and grottoes with more than 7,000 statues. The carvings began during the Northern Wei Dynasty and continued for 1,500 years. With Dayun Cave at its center, the grottoes are divided into two parts. Famous grottoes in the southern part include Big Buddha Cave, Lotus Cave and the Sakyamuni Cave, while famous northern grottoes include Three World Buddhas Grotto and Maitreya Buddha Grotto.
Travel tips:
- Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Admission: 10 yuan
- How to get there: Take a bus from Guangyuan North Gate Bus Station.