The Grottos of Dazhu

In the history of the art of the sculpture of China, the stone works that are in grottos of the Go region occupy a position of first importance. This region, whose name derives from two old kingdoms of China, - at the present time the province of Sichuan and the municipality of Chongqing-, were in the antiquity one of which I reach major economic and cultural development; also, where the taoísmo and the buddhism were disclosed but early and the construction of grottos began prior to other zones, therefore they exist a major I number of grottos and are scattered in an area of greater amplitude. In this region there are shortage but of 200 grotto sets in but of 50 districts. Its construction began in the dynasties of the South and of the North (420-589), it reached its greater development under the Tang and Song, (618-1279) and concluded during the dynasties Ming and Qing (1368-1911). Its artistic value is only comparable with those of the Mogao (in Dunhuang, Gansu), Longmen (in Luoyang, Henan) and Yungan (in Datong, Shanxi).

Between grottos of the Go region, those of Dazhu they are most important by the artistic and cultural value of its sculptures and reliefs. Dazhu is known like “ Earth Inscription in Stone " and “ the Treasure Sculptural Art China ".

The grottos of Dazu are located to 165 km of Chongqing, in the district of Dazu. The statues and reliefs that are in her - more than grouped 50 thousands and in 40 different sites were worked between century IX, end of the Tang dynasty, and century XIII, last period of the Song dynasty. The more representative sculptural groups and of greater artistic importance are in grottos located in the mountains Beishan and Baoding.

The Beishan mountain is raised to two km of the capital of the district. It was in the last years of the Tang dynasty (century IX-X), that the general of Changzhou, Wei Junjing, that tried to establish a separatist regime in the South part of the present province of Sichuan, made construct in the Beishan mountain a walled village where I quarter its troops and stored cereals. In year 892, Wei Junjing ordered to excavate grottos in the Cuibi cliff (today Steep of the Great Buddha), to the west of the walled village. Shortly after, feudal civil servants, gentlemen, monks and nuns of the locality contributed with money so that statues of Buddhist reasons were realized. Thus he was like, throughout 250 years - from the last period of the Tang dynasty to the Shaoxing reign of the Song dynasty of the South they took place but of ten thousand statues. They are these those that now, thousand years later, still are scattered in the skirts of the Beishan mountain with the Cliff of the Great Buddha like center.

Grotto 136 is the one of majors dimensions in the Beishan mountain. One is in good state of conservation and in his interior it is possible to be appreciated representative works of the sculptural art during the Song dynasty. The images of Guangyin and another Bodhisatvas are represented with a likeable air, not like the Buddhist statues of Yungang, where they are serious and bottomless. Majucri seated on a lion rugiendo and Samantabhadra riding on a white elephant are two of the most attractive sculptures. In them a fort can be noticed contrasts between the tenderness who show these kind and beautiful women and the ferocity that already communicate the tamed animal. Images that lock up a philosophical meaning: The final victory of the kind thing on the profligate. Artistic speaking, in these images a sculptural work is appraised that obtains a perfect harmony between the static thing and the dynamic thing.

Between the Buddhist statues, those of Guanyin stand out worked during the Song dynasty. In China, the first statues of this Bodhisatva were represented by a masculine figure, dressed well and with an expression of seriousness in the face, but, in the worked ones as of the last period of the Tang dynasty, it imagines to him like a feminine and likeable figure.

The Bodhisvatta Guanyin with a rosary. It is the most important statue, and the greater pride, of the Beishan mountain. With 100 cm of height, standing up on a flower of loto, Guanyin it takes a rosary in the right hand, in his face tuna and round a timid smile is drawn, takes the hands crossed on the belly and dresses a jacket and an apron on the skirt, shines tassels that hang in the chest and tapes that hang of their arms. This image, that remembers a charming maid, graceful and elegant, many foreigners when contemplating denominate it as “ Venus of East ".

In this grotto worked during the Song dynasty other four statues with great artistic value can even be seen. Harmonious, of simple and precise lines, they were modeled maintaining the proportions human but giving a greater height them.

The sculptures of the Beishan mountain are the result of a fine work, great masters, and beautiful images that seem equipped with the breath of the life; those of the Baoding mountain, besides the quality of his work, they are admirable by his greatness and Majesty.

The Baoding mountain is located to 15 km to the northeast of Dazhu. The sculptural works that are in her - more than 10 thousands were realized in a period of more than 70 years under the direction of Zhao Zhifeng, famous monk of the Song dynasty. For more than 800 years these works are in a deep valley of 500 ms of length - with the Cliff of the Great Buddha like center-- and in grottos or precipices of the environs.

In the central part of the Cliff of the Great Buddha an enormous sculpture can be seen representing Sakyamuni - founding of the tended buddhism of flank throughout the North cliff. This sculpture, call “Nirvana of Sakyamuni” has 31 meters in length and lets see only half superior of the body, the inferior is hidden on the rock. With the slightly open eyes and a calm and affectionate face, represents Sakyamuni at the time of its death. It is the most spectacular and huge work of the Baoding mountain.

“ the Birth of Sakyamuni " is another one of the sculptural groups that surprise by their majesty and beauty. Of the walls of the cliff nine heads of dragoon are shown, and of its mouths they bring forth crystallines water spurts that fall in the bathtub where Sakyamuni is seated, smiling.

The unique group of gigantic figures and On guard standing up that is in the Cliff of the Great Buddha, is the sculptural group called “the Three Saints of Huayan”. Vairocana, guarded to both sides by Mañjusri and Samantabhadra. Each one of the sculptures measure 7 M.s of height. In one of its Samantabhadra hands pagoda of 500 kg maintains one, that despuús of thousand years not yet has fallen; the reason: kasaya that takes to headress the ground.

“ Bodhisatva Guanyin of Thousand Arms " is a work executed in the base – 88 m2- of a precipice. It measures 7.6 M.s of stop. Their 1,007 extended arms suggest the tail of the peacock. In the hands, finely worked, it has different objects.

In the sculptures that are in the Baoding mountain, groups of sculptures can also be admired that reflect the life and the work of common people. It has deeply slept, others divertiendo itself, others touching flute, but in all of them it beats the life.

The statues of Dazhu, great treasure of the sculptural art of old China, constitute the crystallization of the wisdom of the craftsmen.

First of December of 1999, in the session XXIII that the Commission of Cultural and Natural Patrimonies of the World celebrated in Morocco, UNESCO included Grottos of Dazhu in the List of Cultural Patrimonies of the Humanity.

Airplane or train is arrived in at Chongqing, where lines of bus exist that take to Dazhu.