Research On Mount Longduo Cliff Rock Carving In Hechuan,chongqing

Nestled in Longfeng Town, 54 kilometers northwest from Hechuan District,Chongqing City, Mount Longduo Cliff Rock Carving, scatters over east cliff in two parts: upper part and lower part, south cliff, west cliff in two parts: Feixian Rock and Feixian Spring, north cliff and Tianwan area. According to category, they are classified into cliff sculptures and cliff inscriptions.94 shrines in total are discovered, with bulk of sculptures in shallow and small cliff shrines, less grottoes and some large shrines. These sculptures were engraved in four periods:the first period,Tang Dynasty(AD 685-756),a few small and severely-damaged statutes are preserved; the second period, the Late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties(AD 907-960), more sculpture with rich themes and exquisite decoration appeared; the third period, two Song Dynasties(AD 960-1279), cliff sculpture began to decline; the fourth period, from early Yuan Dynasty to the Republic of China(AD 1271-1949), a handful of sculptures were carved and some shrines blended with Tibetan Buddhism.Some stylish Mount Longduo Cliff Sculptures blend with grottoes in Bazhong, Guangyuan, Mianyang and other places in themes and decorative style. And Mount Longduo Rock Carving have an influence on neighbouring Laitan Buddha Statues, Dazu Rock Carving and other historical sites.A legacy of 92 square meters cliff inscriptions exists and 30 square meters of document-noted inscriptions is missing. They are carved in period from Tang Dynasty to Republic of China, most in two Song Dynasties; all kinds of inscriptions: sculpture records, poems, travel notes, eulogy, study stories, inscriptions, mountain tablet, rock inscriptions for rain and other things.The earliest Mount Longduo inscription is Sacrifice for Mount Longduo carved in fourteenth year of Tianbao in Tang Dynasty(755), and the latest is Tablet of Renovation for Lingfo Temple carved in thirty-third year of the Republic of China(1944).Most of them are composed by local bureaucrats and literati, a high level educational crowd.