Stone Grottoes on the Ancient Shu Road by the Jialing River - Guangyuan Qianfoya Travel Guide

Qianfoya in Guangyuan, Sichuan, is carved into the cliffs by the Jialing River. The ancient Shu Golden Ox Road passed by Qianfoya as early as the Three Kingdoms period. The cliff carvings of Qianfoya began in the late Northern Wei dynasty, flourished in the Tang and Five Dynasties, and continued to be carved until the Qing dynasty. It has the longest history of carving in Sichuan and is the largest grotto group in the province. On the 400-meter-long, 45-meter-high cliff, there are more than 7,000 Buddha statues. The large and small niches are densely packed like a beehive. The 13 overlapping grottoes contain solemn and majestic statues of Shakyamuni, Maitreya, and Duobao, as well as statues of elegant Bodhisattvas, mighty warriors, and devout worshippers. They all demonstrate the exquisite carving skills of ancient China, and the colors are still bright today, which is amazing. Address: No. 43, Qianfo Road, Lizhou District, Guangyuan Tickets: CNY 50 Opening hours: 8:00-18:00 Public transport: Take bus No. 5 or 7 to Qianfoya Bus Stop, then walk. My visit route: Qianfoya Gate - Dayun Temple - Golden Ox Road Site - Grotto Area. After arriving at the grotto area, I looked from low to high. I went straight inside and looked at the Great Buddha Cave, Lotus Cave, Hidden Buddha Cave, and Lushena Buddha Niche in order, then went up the mountain to see the Three Saints Hall, Dayun Ancient Cave, North Great Buddha Niche, Shenlong Great Buddha Niche, Thousand Buddha Cave, and Avalokitesvara Cave in order, then went up from the exit of the stone wall stairs, visited in the opposite direction, and finally went down from the entrance of the stairs and returned to the entrance of the scenic area.