Great Buddha Bend Walking Tour

Works are presented here according to the way in which a modern day visitor to the site encounters them, beginning with tableau 24.

24. Shrine of the Daoist Sages
25. Shrine to the Jade Emperor and the Earth Goddess
26. Series of engraved steles
27. Statue of Vairocana Buddha
28. Carving of a lion
29. Cave of Complete Enlightenment
30. Taming the Wild Ox
1. Carving of a fierce tiger
2. Guardians of the Buddhist Teachings
3. Revolving Wheel of the Six Paths
4. Pavilion of Great Treasure

5. Three saints of the Huayan School
6. Precious Holy Relic Pavilion
7. Engraved stele dedicated to Vairocana
8. 1,000-Armed Avalokitesvara
9. Holy Relic Pagoda
10. Final Gathering of Men and Devas
11. Parinirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha
12. Birth of the Buddha
13. Peacock Queen
14. Cave of Vairocana

15. Depictions from the Scripture on the Kindness of Parents
16. Gods of Cloud, Wind, Thunder, Rain and Lightning
17. Depictions of Buddha Preaches the Mahayana Scripture on the Skillful Means for Repaying Kindness
18. Depictions from the Scripture on the Visualization of the Buddha of Infinite Life
19. Six Vices
20. Dizang Bodhisattva with the Ten Kings of Hell and the 18 Hells
21. Asceticism of Master Liu
22. Ten Wisdom Kings
23. Shrine to the Three Pure Ones
31. Statues of Man and Licchavi Woman

24. Shrine of the Daoist Sages

: Western end of Great Buddha Bend

: Later Daoist Images

25. Shrine to the Jade Emperor and the Earth Goddess

: Jade Emperor and the Earth Goddess

26. Series of Engraved Steles

: Overview of Tableau 26

: Overview of World Heritage Site inscriptions

: Baodingshan inscription by Wang Dejia

: Characters Fu ‘Good Fortune’ and Shou ‘Longeveity’

27. Statue of Vairocana Buddha

: Overview of Tableau 27 with Vairocana and steles

: Vairocana

: Master Liu image in headdress of Vairocana

28. Carving of a Lion

: Guardian Lion at Entrance to Cave of Complete Enlightenment

29. Cave of Complete Enlightenment

: Cave of Complete Enlightenment Overview

: Bodhiisattva in repose

: The pilgrim Sudhana

: Bodhisattva as Worshipper

30. Taming the Wild Ox

: View of Oxherding scenes from entrance to temple above

: Oxherding 10 and 11

: Oxherding 11

: Oxherding 10 Detail showing monk in meditation

: Oxherding 10 Detail of Chant

: Oxherding 9

: Oxhearding 8

: Oxherding 8 Detail

: Oxherding 7

: Oxherding 6

: Oxherding 5

: Oxherding 4

: Oxherding 3

: Oxherding 2

: Oxherding 1

1. Carving of fierce tiger

: Entrance to Shengshou Temple above

: Guardian Tiger

2. Guardians of the Buddhist Teachings

: Guardian Kings

: Detail showing erosion of sculpted figure

3. Revolving Wheel of the Six Paths

: Baodingshan inscription by Du Xiaoyan, 12th century

: Central wheel with six spokes designating six possible rebirths

: Central image of Zhao Zhifeng, creator of Baodingshan

: Realm of the hungry ghosts

: Realm of humans

: Realm of hell

: Realm of heaven

: Realm of animals

: Realm of titans [asuras]

: Man and jailer supporting the wheel

: Woman and animal supporting the wheel

: Cat and mouse at foot of wheel – a cautionary tale of karma

4. Pavilion of Great Treasure

: Baodingshan inscription by Du Xiaoyan, 12th century

: Detail of large character inscription Baodingshan

5. Three Saints of the Huayan School

: Overview of the Three Huayan deities

: Central Vairocana [Ch. Darirulai} image

: Bodhisattva Samantabhadra [Ch. Puxian]

: Bodhisattva Manjusri [Ch. Wenshu]

: 12th century inscription by Yu Wenqi

: Buddha in moon niche

6. Precious Holy Relic Pavilion

: Precious Holy Relic Pavilion

: Central Buddha image with text “precious holy relic pavilion” inscribed above

7. Engraved Stele Dedicated to Vairocana

: Vairocana inscription and accompanying imagery

: Detail of inscription by 12th century scholar Wei Liaoweng

8. 1000-Armed Avalokitesvara

: Qing dynasty exterior structure protecting 1000-Armed Guanyin

: Image of the 1000-Armed Guanyin under reconstruction in late 1990s

: Image of 1000-Armed Guanyin under reconstruction

: 1000-Armed Guanyin fully restored – 2014

9. Holy Relic Pagoda

: Pagoda overview beneath overhang of 1000-Armed Guanyin structure.

: Holy relic pagoda details of inscriptions

: Characters reading ‘shelibaota’ – ‘sacred relic pagoda’

10. Final Gathering of Men and Devas

: Overview of scenes from the life of the historical Buddha

: Water runoff in front of the parinirvana and scenes from the life of the Buddha

11. Parinirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha

: Overview of the historical Buddha Sakyamuni’s parinirvana

: Central image showing offerings being made to the historical Buddha

: Bodhisattva mourners at the pariniravana

: The historical Buddha’s mother witnessing his parinirvana from Tusita heaven

: Zhao Zhifeng and Master Liu present at the parinirvana

: Image depicting the birth of the Buddha

12. Bathing of the Buddha

: 9 naga kings bathing the historical Buddha shortly after his birth

: Detail of the bathing of the historical Buddha

13. Peacock Queen

: Overview of the Peacock Queen

: Detail of Svati dying from a poisonous snake

: Detail showing offerings being made to the Peacock Queen

14. Cave of Vairocana

: Exterior of Vairocana Cave

: ‘Vairocana Ritual Area’ [Vairocana daochang]

: Central pillar with Vairocana

: Bodhisattva Manjusri on his lion

: Bodhisattva Samantabhadra on his elephant

: Bodhisattva in prayer within Vairocana Cave

: 14th century inscriptions from visitors to Baodingshan

15. Depictions from the Scripture on the Kindness of Parents

: Overview of Kindness of Parents tableau

: Kindness #1

: Kindness #2

: Kindness #3

: Kindness #4 and 6

: Kindness #5

: Kindness #7

: Kindness #8

: Kindness #9

: Kindness #10

: Monk in lower levels of hell

: Hell scenes for unfilial children

: Restoration inscription

16. Gods of Cloud, Wind, Thunder, Rain and Lightning

: Overview of Gods of Weather

: God of Rain

: God of Lightning detail

: God of Thunder detail

: God of Wind detail

17. Depictions of Buddha Preaches the Mahayana Scripture on the Skillful Means for Repaying Kindness

: Overview of North Cliff Face at Great Buddha Bend

: Central Buddha image

: Right side of the tableau

: Ananda with inscribed text

: Detail of filial son carrying his parents

: The 6 Heretics

: Left side of the tableau

: Lower two registers on left side of tableau

: Shakyamuni Buries His Father

: Detail of inscription above Shakyamuni

: Inscription on Shakyamuni’s Father’s Reliquary

: Overview of Shakyamuni at his father’s deathbed

: Upper register left side of tableau

: Detail from the Sacrifice for a Stanza jataka

: Detail of Prince Samaka’s Filialness

: Upper register right side of tableau

: Detail of the Filial Parrot jataka

: Cutting One’s Own Flesh to Feed Parents

: Detail of the Hungry Tigress Jataka

: Inscription relating reverence for relics by ‘3 Sage Emperors’

18. Depictions from the Scripture on the Visualization of the Buddha of Infinite Life

Overview of Pure Land tableau

Overview of Pure Land tableau

19. Six Vices

: 6 Vices North Cliff Face

: 6 Vices Close Up Front View

: 6 Vices Closeup Top Inscription

: Detail 6 Vices Right Side

: Detail Description of Hell

: 6 Vices Animals Below Main Figure

20. Dizang Bodhisattva with the Ten Kings of Hell and the 18 Hells

: Drawing Identifying Individual Hell Scenes

: Hell Scenes

: Top two tiers of Hell Tableau

: Central grouping of Dizang Bodhisattva

: Overview of Hells described in the Admonition Against Alcohol

: Representation of Dizang Bodhisattva with Begging Bowl

: Detail of King Guang of Qin

: Detail of King Yama and Monk Representation of Dizang Bodhisattva

: First Level of Hell

: Overview of Knife Mountain Hell

: Boiling Cauldron Hell

: Hell of the Iron Bed with Karmic Mirror Above

: Lower Left Series of Hells

: Hell of Cutting and Grinding

: Inscription describing Avici Hell

: Remains of Lotus Altar in front of Hell Tableau

: Inscribed Red Hot Iron Wheel Chant in top of Pagoda within Hell Tableau

: Hungry Ghost Inscription

: Detail of Monk Figure in lowest level of Hell Tableau

: Overview of Admonitions against Alcohol within Hell Tableau

: Detail of Man offering Monk Alcohol

21. Asceticism of Master Liu

: Master Liu tableau with map of Dazu County at lower left

: Overview of Master Liu tableau

: Central image of Master Liu dressed as scholar

: Austerity 3

: Austerity 4

: Austerity 5

: Austerity 6

: Austerity 7

: Austerity 8

: Austerity 9

: Austerity 10

22. Ten Wisdom Kings

: Overview of the Wisdom Kings below Master Liu

: Wisdom Kins with World Heritage Inscription

: Wisdom Kings

23. Shrine to the Three Pure Ones

: Later niches with Daoist Deities

: Shrine to Three Pure Ones

31. Statues of Man and Licchavi Woman

: Overview Showing Location of the sculptures below Great Buddha Bend

: Man and Licchavi courtesan below Great Buddha Bend pointing the way.