Author(s): CHANG Qing
Pages: 19-27
Year: 2015 Issue:  3
Journal: Relics and Museology
Keyword:  Qinglianshan Temple; Buddhist Art; Cliff Sculptures; Tang Dynasty; Northern Song Dynasty;
Abstract: The cliff images of the Qinglianshan monastery in Linyou County, Shaanxi Province, consist of 16 imagery niches, which can be divided into three phases:the ifve niches in the lower register were carved in the Zhenguan Era (627-649) of the reign of Emperor Taizong (598-649) during the Tang Dynasty (618-907);the four niches in the upper register were carved as make-up in the late Zhenguan Era to the beginning of the reign of Emperor Xuanzong (r. 712-756) during the Tang, and the rest were carved in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The motifs of the sculptures include not only the general Buddha-bodhisattva assemblies, but also the scenes of the life of the Buddha. The motifs of niche nos. K3 and K13 are possibly the symbolic portraits of the patriarchs who transmitted Buddhist Dharma from Sakyamuni Buddha. The Tejaprabha Buddha in niche no. K8 was also a popular motif after the Tang; niche no. K4 carved in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) represents the image of Water-Moon Guanyin which became popular since the tenth century. The images of the donor ifgures show that the sponsors of these Buddhist imagery niches were mainly female Buddhists. The cliff images from all of the phases represent the strong folk styles from the local area.