Anyue Stone Carvings Pilu Cave｜Sunshine Has Shone for a Thousand Years

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