What did you experience in Dazu stone carving?

artistic value

In the long-term development process, the grotto art in China has accumulated its own unique pattern and connotation. During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the early grottoes art, represented by Yungang Grottoes, was obviously influenced by Indian Gandhara and the multi-modal art in the 4th and 5th centuries, and most of the statues showed the characteristics of "looking at things in a different way". During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the mid-term grotto art, represented by Longmen Grottoes, showed the characteristics of the integration of Indian culture and China culture in the 6th-9th century. Dazu stone carving, as a representative work of the late grotto art (from the end of Tang Dynasty to the Southern Song Dynasty, from the end of the 9th century to the middle of13rd century), has made a breakthrough in the choice of theme, artistic form, modeling techniques and aesthetic taste compared with the previous generation, and has become a model of Chinese grotto art with distinctive nationalized and living characteristics composed of Dunhuang, Yungang and Longmen Grottoes. Dazu stone carvings are all "three religions" statues, which are different from previous grottoes. The Taoist statues from 1 1 to1in the middle of the 3rd century, represented by the cliff statues in Nanshan, are the most exquisite and complete Taoist statues in China during this period. Among the cliff statues in Shi Zhuan, Confucius, the founder of China Confucianism, is the main statue, which is rare in the grotto art. The unity of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, represented by Shi Zhuan Cliff Statue, and the unity of Buddhism and Taoism, represented by Shimen Cliff Statue, is also extremely rare in China Grottoes. As far as preservation is concerned, Dazu stone carving is one of the best preserved grottoes in China.

The "Wuyue" Cliff Statue is well preserved. Except for a few damaged statues in history, all grottoes and statues have not been damaged by man-made and natural disasters. 1949 after the establishment of People's Republic of China (PRC), the principle of "no change to the original state" was strictly observed in daily maintenance and protection, and based on conclusive documents and inscriptions, the method of combining traditional technology with modern science and technology was adopted. Its design, materials, technology, layout and other aspects have maintained the historical authenticity. While protecting the main body of the "Wuyue" statue, we should pay attention to the protection of its surrounding environment and basically do not change its environmental relationship. Therefore, on the whole, the "Wuyue" Cliff Statue has basically maintained its historical scale, original state and style.

Avalokitesvara carved by Dazu is the only true avalokitesvara in China, about 1006. The statues in Beishan are built on rocks, and the caves are as dense as honeycombs. From the end of 9th century to the middle of13rd century, it was called "Grottoes Art Exhibition Hall". The statue of Buddha Bay in Baoding Mountain is 500 meters long and magnificent. Whether it is disguised or variant, it is illustrated; The layout and composition are rigorous, and the doctrine system is complete. It is a large-scale tantric Dojo with a general concept and has been built for more than 70 years. Sculpture not only pursues formal beauty, but also pays more attention to the accurate expression of content. The story content, religion and philosophy of life it shows can make people understand it rationally, touch it with emotion, seduce it with happiness and threaten it with misfortune. It covers a wide range of social trends of thought, which makes people save their lives and never tire of watching it. The cliff statues in Nanshan, Shi Zhuan and Shimen Mountain are exquisitely carved, which are rare treasures carved by Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism in China Grottoes.

Contribution to China Grottoes Art

Dazu stone carving pays attention to the aesthetic law and formal law of sculpture art itself, which is a good example of the development of cave sculpture to cliff sculpture. In the technique of three-dimensional modeling, realism and exaggeration complement each other, describing difficult situations and conveying difficult feelings, and endowing different characters with different personality characteristics to convey the spirit and express their hearts. It emphasizes the strong contrast between good and evil, beauty and ugliness, and the content expressed is close to life, and the words are popular and concise, which has strong artistic appeal and great social enlightenment significance. In terms of material selection, it comes from classics and is not limited to classics. It is extremely inclusive and creative, which embodies the just requirements of secular beliefs to punish evil and promote good, calm the mind and regulate behavior everywhere. In layout, it is a clever combination of art, religion, science and nature. In aesthetics, the combination of mystery, nature and elegance fully embodies the aesthetic requirements of China traditional culture. In performance, it broke through some old religious sculptures, developed creatively, humanized idols, and integrated man and god, which is very rich in China characteristics. In a word, Dazu stone carving has created a new form of grotto art in many aspects, and has become a model of grotto art with China style and China traditional cultural connotation, reflecting China's traditional aesthetic thought and taste. At the same time, as a turning point in the development and change of China Grottoes, there are many new factors in Dazu stone carvings that are different from the previous generation and have a great influence on later generations.

A model of living grotto art

Dazu stone carving is unique in grotto art with its strong secular belief and simple life breath, which pushes the life of grotto art to an unprecedented position. In terms of content selection and expression techniques, they all strive to closely combine with secular life and aesthetic taste. Its characters are gentle and quiet, beautifully dressed and rarely exposed; Physically, strive for beauty but not evil, beauty but not flattery. Statues, whether Buddha, Bodhisattva, Lohan, King Kong and various waiters, are quite similar to the true portrayal of all kinds of characters in reality. In particular, the cliff statue of Baodingshan reflects a wide range of social life scenes, almost all-encompassing, quite like a folk corridor from12nd century to13rd century (Song Dynasty). No matter princes, officials, gentlemen and farmers, all kinds of characters are lifelike and ready to come. The "Wuyue" Cliff Statue in Dazu Stone Carvings can be said to be a vivid picture of historical life, which reflects China's social life (late Tang Dynasty, Five Dynasties and Song Dynasty) from all aspects, making the Indian grottoes art develop for a long time, thus completing the process of China.

Contribution to China tantric history

According to previous Buddhist historical records, China tantric Buddhism prevailed in the early 8th century, in the Yellow River valley. At the beginning of the 9th century, after the Japanese monk Kong Haidong spread to Japan, the Han nationality in China gradually declined. However, a large number of statues and inscriptions in Beishan Mountain and Baoding Mountain show incontrovertibly that Tantric Buddhism not only did not disappear, but also flourished in Sichuan from the 9th century to13rd century. At the end of the 9th century (the late Tang Dynasty), Liu Benzun in western Sichuan created his own tantric school, claiming that "the master of yoga in the Tang Dynasty always holds the king". He preached asceticism and Dafa. During the period from 12 to 13 (mid-Southern Song Dynasty), Zhao Zhifeng, a monk, passed on his teachings, claiming to be "the founder of the six generations", preached scriptures in Dazu, Changzhou, and founded a complete and distinctive esoteric Dojo, which is rare in the history of cliff statues in Baoding Mountain, thus continuing the esoteric history of China for about 400 years and becoming the esoteric Buddhism in China.

Changes in religious beliefs

Believing in God, not believing in religion and having diversified beliefs are major changes in the long-term development of folk religious beliefs in China. Dazu stone carving, as the product of China folk religious belief, is an important physical example. On the one hand, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, as the three main bodies of China traditional culture, have changed from "mutual opposition" to "mutual integration" in the long-term development process. One of its manifestations is that the grotto art, originally a product of Buddhism, was borrowed by Taoism and Confucianism, and the founders of the "three religions" appeared in the same grotto equally. In Dazu stone carvings, there are statues of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism respectively, and there are also statues of the integration of Buddhism, Taoism and "three religions". These statues show that from A.D. 10 to A.D. 13, the social ideological trend of "Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism are all sacred" and "punishing evil and promoting good, and jointly governing the world" was consolidated; Secular beliefs have become increasingly indifferent to the religious boundaries of the "three religions."

On the other hand, the rich and varied carving themes of Dazu stone carvings strongly reflect the integration of Indian gods and early Taoist gods with Chinese folk beliefs in this period, showing a trend of diversified beliefs. The great development and change of folk religious belief shown by Dazu stone carvings has become the basis of folk belief in later generations and has far-reaching influence.

On May 8, 2007, Chongqing Dazu Stone Carving Scenic Spot was officially approved by the National Tourism Administration as a national 5A-level tourist scenic spot.