Qianfo (Thousand Buddha) Cliff

Every year on September 1st is Guangyuan's Daughter's Festival. Without having been here, one would never know the high regard in which great figures and Song Qingling hold Wu Zetian. Wu Zetian's true likeness stone carving statue The true likeness stone carving statue of Wu Zetian enshrined in the Zetian Hall is said to be an image of her in her later years, wearing a treasure crown and dressed as a 'Bhikkhuni' (main picture, 4th emoji). Guangyuan is the northernmost city in Sichuan, with many places having extremely dangerous terrain. The difficulty of the Shu Road, as described by the great Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai, says it all. 🎫Ticket: 50💰 for adults, discounts available for students ⏰Opening hours: 8.00-18.00 📍Address: Navigate to 'Huangze Temple Scenic Area' (near Qianfo Cliff and the train station) 🔥【How to enjoy Guangyuan city area?】 Morning: You must try a bowl of cold noodles in the morning, which can only be made with the water from the Jialing River in Guangyuan❗️ Although the word 'cold' is in its name, it is actually served hot. There are many delicious and affordable foods. Afternoon: Route 1⃣ Huangze Temple — Qianfo Cliff: Huangze Temple is the only temple in China dedicated to Empress Wu Zetian. Pray in the temple and feel the charm of the empress. Qianfo Cliff is the largest grotto group in Sichuan Province. Experience the wash of Chinese grotto culture on the cliffside. (You can go to Huangze Temple earlier in the morning and take a bus or drive to Qianfo Cliff in the afternoon) Route 2⃣ Fenghuang Tower (Dongshan Park): Climb Fenghuang Tower to overlook the entire Guangyuan cityscape, enjoy a cup of Ba Ba tea at the tower, and savor the afternoon; or relive childhood joy in the park. Evening Iron Bridge: Check-in for photos Guangyuan Covered Bridge (by the Jialing River): Photo-taking + river breeze + post-dinner walk + river cruise 🔥Attractions around Guangyuan, Jiange: Jianmen Pass/Cuiyun Corridor You can spend an entire day here because you will climb the Shu Road, which is as difficult as ascending to heaven, walk the bird path hanging on the cliffside, and climb the thrilling and exciting Ape Rubbing Path. After a day, your legs will be weak! Here, you can find 365 days of excellent air quality, Ba Ba tea everywhere, and people strolling by the river after meals. The character 'leisure' is evident everywhere. Although the city seems small and leisurely, very suitable for retirement, its touristic nature should not be underestimated.

📍Location: Qianfo Cliff, Lizhou District, Guangyuan City, Sichuan Province 🚗Travel: Recommended to drive or take the bus 🈺️Opening Hours: 8:30-17:30 🎫Ticket Price: 💰50 yuan (Winter discount event, with a chance to purchase tickets for 1 yuan) Attraction Introduction: Guangyuan Qianfo Cliff, located on the left bank of the Jialing River, is an important part of the Jianmen Shu Road National Scenic Area. The cliff carvings are distributed along a 420-meter-long cliff, reaching up to 84 meters in height, with the highest niche being 45.5 meters above the ground. There are a total of 13 layers, with more than 950 niches and over 7,900 Buddha statues. These carvings began in the Northern Wei Dynasty and flourished from the Northern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, especially during the Tang Dynasty. During the Five Dynasties, Song, Yuan, and Qing periods, the focus was mainly on coloring. It is the largest grotto group in Sichuan and is known as the 'Exhibition Hall of Stone Carving Art through the Ages'. In 1935, due to the construction of the Sichuan-Shaanxi Highway, some carvings were damaged. In 1961, the Qianfo Cliff carvings were listed as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. In 2012, it was rated as a national 4A-level tourist attraction. Little Knowledge Share: The Tang Dynasty cliff carvings of Guangyuan Qianfo Cliff have the following characteristics: ✅One Buddha, two Bodhisattvas, two disciples: The main shapes are pointed arch and round arch, and the carvings are simple yet exquisite. The Buddha statues often have square or round faces, with a solemn and amiable expression, three neck folds, broad shoulders, and a robust, rounded figure. ✅Clothing and attire: Most wear a kasaya that covers both shoulders. This style of clothing appeared in small quantities during the Tang Dynasty's Zhenguan period, became popular during Empress Wu's reign, and after the Kaiyuan period, it became the only form of Buddha attire. ✅Plump and rounded: The 'open face' of Buddha statues is a characteristic of Buddhist carvings after the prosperous Tang period, with high spiral hair buns and a plump, full face. ✅Artistic techniques: The grotto carvings are mainly high-relief, with some niches using through-carving and hollowing techniques, giving the statues a more three-dimensional feel. When visiting cultural attractions, in addition to taking photos and checking in, it is more important to understand the historical stories behind them, to feel the wisdom of the ancients, and to broaden one's horizons and ways of thinking. The spectacular sight of Qianfo Cliff makes one admire the wisdom of the ancients; after a thousand years of weathering, many carvings have become unrecognizable, and some have even been destroyed, which is deeply moving. Cherish the present, feel the history.

If we're talking about places with great value for money around Xi'an, Guangyuan definitely counts as one, worth visiting time and again‼️ 🗓 Itinerary: 🚄 High-speed train version recommended: Saturday: Morning Xi'an➡️Guangyuan😃2 hours by high-speed train, ticket price 150 Afternoon Qianfoya, Fenghuang Mountain, enjoy hotpot in the evening, yum😋Stay overnight in Guangyuan Sunday: Morning Nanhe Bus Station➡️Zhaohua Ancient City, minibuses depart every hour, 30 minutes trip, ticket price 9 yuan; enjoy Zhaohua's delicious intestines Afternoon return to Guangyuan, end the weekend with a Sichuan cuisine meal 🎬 Evening Guangyuan➡️Xi'an 🚗 Self-driving version recommended: Friday Drive overnight to Guangyuan, about 5 and a half hours, stay overnight in Guangyuan; Saturday Drive about 1 and a half hours to Jinniu Ancient Trail's Lanma Wall, then 1 and a half hours to Zhaohua Ancient City in the afternoon, stay overnight in Zhaohua; Sunday Drive half an hour back to Guangyuan, visit Qianfoya, Fenghuang Mountain, Huangze Temple, schedule according to personal interest and time, have Sichuan cuisine for lunch; then start the journey back to Xi'an; ❤️ A few little tips ❤️ 1️⃣ Self-driving can be tiring, especially the Qinling section, which is quite demanding. It's recommended to have several drivers take turns, but once you arrive in Guangyuan, you can enjoy the freedom 2️⃣ There are many homestays in Zhaohua Ancient City, take a good look at pictures and reviews when choosing. We picked Jiameng Post, which was quite good and convenient; the food in Zhaohua seems similar from place to place, go with what looks good to you, the intestines are a tasty specialty😋 3️⃣ Accommodation in Guangyuan really offers better value for money, it's up to you; we randomly chose a hotpot place and it was great, also had Dong's Stewed Pig's Trotters, delicious👍right at Nanhe Square, all kinds of food, dazzling 4️⃣ Sichuan's rapeseed flowers are blooming, all along the river by Zhaohua Ancient City, so beautiful‼️ 5️⃣ For the high-speed train version, please check the return trip times from Zhaohua Ancient City to Guangyuan in advance, currently, only morning trips from Nanhe Bus Station to the ancient city are visible, can't see the return trips; 6️⃣ Movie ticket prices in Guangyuan might be a bit cheaper, consider watching a couple of movies😏

The Guangyuan Thousand Buddha Cliff carvings are located on the east bank of the Jialing River, 4 kilometers north of the old city in Lizhou District, Guangyuan City, Sichuan Province. The carving began in the Northern Wei Dynasty and continued through the Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. It has the longest history of excavation in Sichuan, and it is also the largest grotto group in Sichuan Province, known as the 'Exhibition Hall of Stone Carving Art Through the Ages'. The Guangyuan Thousand Buddha Cliff carvings stretch for 388.8 meters, with the cliff top reaching 84 meters high, and the highest niche is 45.5 meters above the ground. The niches are arranged in multiple levels, up to 13 layers, with a total of 54 grottoes, 819 niches, and more than 7,000 statues of various sizes. It covers an area of 7,800 square meters and has a building area of 480 square meters. On March 4, 1961, the Guangyuan Thousand Buddha Cliff carvings were announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. In 2012, the Guangyuan Thousand Buddha Cliff Stone Carving Art Museum was established as a national 4A-level tourist attraction.

❤️Recommended reason: I've been to Lhasa several times before I found the Thousand Buddha Cliff, which is the Thousand Buddha Wall on Medicine King Mountain. 🌟Highlights: The Thousand Buddha Cliff is located on the west side of Medicine King Mountain, where the cliff is densely covered with thousands of Buddha statues of various sizes, hence the name 'Thousand Buddha Cliff'. 👍Most recommended: From the Medicine King Mountain viewing platform, turn left along Norbulingka Road into the southern section of Odeji Road, take a turn, and you'll see a massive cliff face, where the exquisite Buddha statues carved by generations of Tibetan sculptors are displayed in a scattered and orderly manner. 👍Most recommended: Legend has it that the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo once saw the Six Syllable Mantra and Buddha statues and other divine signs in front of this cliff, and later had people build the cliff according to what appeared naturally. After generations of additional carvings, the Thousand Buddha Cliff as we see it today was formed. Despite thousands of years of wind and rain erosion, the stone Buddha statues remain intact.

👨‍👩‍👦Guangyuan, formerly known as Lizhou, is located in the north of Sichuan Province, known as the 'Gateway to Northern Sichuan, Throat of Shu Road'. It is the hometown of the empress, the home of pandas, and a health resort : Chengdu to Guangyuan, Thousand Buddha Cliff, Zhaohua Ancient City Depart in the morning, have a makeshift lunch in the highway rest area, arrive at Thousand Buddha Cliff in the afternoon. I remember when I took the train to Xi'an before, I was quite shocked when I saw the Thousand Buddha Cliff on the opposite bank of the Jialing River. This close-up visit is even more worthwhile. I suggest you can hire a guide to learn more about the history and culture behind it. Even on weekdays, the main streets of Zhaohua Ancient City are still very lively, but they all feel the same. It's better to walk in some narrower alleys. We stayed in the ancient city until after 6 o'clock in the evening. When most of the tourists left, the whole ancient city suddenly returned to tranquility from the hustle and bustle. I prefer this atmosphere. : Jianmen Pass We live in Jiange County, and it's only a ten-minute drive to the north gate of the scenic area. Jianmen Pass has many walking routes. After referring to some bloggers' recommendations, I personally think our route basically covers Jianmen Pass. The main sights and features are: North Gate—1st Cableway—Baolong Mountain Viewing Platform—Bird Path (can't go to Yuanmou Path with a 5-year-old child)—Liangshan Pavilion—Shisun Peak—One-line Sky—Leiming Bridge—Pass Tower—South Gate. The most exciting part is of course the Bird Path, climbing up the very steep stone steps, some places even the steps are worn flat, it's really dangerous! I recommend staying in the county's Tianci Hot Spring Hotel or other nearby places. After climbing the mountain for a day, it's just right to soak in the hot spring in the evening and wash away the fatigue. : Cuiyun Corridor Cuiyun Corridor is also part of Jianmen Shu Road. If you are in a hurry, you can arrange it on the same day as Jianmen Pass. But it's quite a test of your foot strengthCuiyun Corridor is characterized by hundreds of years old cypress trees, such as Shuai Da Bo, Jianmen Bo, Mandarin Duck Bo, Huaitai Bo and other strangely shaped cypress trees. The whole forest is very quiet and a bit mysterious, a little p and it has the taste of the magical forest in Harry Potter😀

#travelinspiration #sichuan #china #buddha #historicculture #tripaway #trip

The Qianfoya Cliffs are located on the banks of the Jialing River on the edge of Guangyuan City. The ancient and modern cattle trails pass by. There are more than 400 caves left on the cliffs of about 400 meters long. The earliest grottoes were excavated in the Northern Dynasties. Part of it was excavated in the Tang Dynasty. Qianfo Cliff can be compared with the northern caves of the Central Plains in the same period. These caves were mostly excavated by officials from the two Beijing (Chang'an, Luoyang) areas, representing the popular style and artistic level of Buddhist stone carving art in the two Beijing areas.

Guangyuan Qianfo Cliff is the largest group of grottoes in Sichuan. The cliff statues began in the Northern Wei Dynasty. After nearly 1500 years, they were 45 meters high and more than 200 meters long on the cliffs.