Preliminary Study On The Distribution Of Cliff Statues In The Sichuan Basin From The 5th To The 13th Centuries

The Sichuan Basin has rich resources of grottoes and cliff statues, where is the most important grottoes distribution area in southern China and an important representative of the Chinese cave temples. It is helpful to understand the time and space process of the cliff statues in Sichuan area by studying the distribution and changes of the cliff statues in the Sichuan Basin.Based on the natural geographical divisions of the Sichuan Basin, this paper performed a statistical of the cliff statues in 5 areas in the Sichuan Basin, including the northern low mountain area, the western Sichuan plain area, the hilly area of Sichuan Basin, the mountainou and hilly area in south basin, the parallel mountain ridge and valley in eastern basin. On this basis, the time and space distribution situation and characteristics are discussed, and the main factors affecting the geographical distribution of cliff images in the Sichuan Basin are analyzed.The cliff statues of the Sichuan Basin, from the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Southern Song Dynasty, can be divided into 3 phases. Phase 1 dating to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, sui,and the early Tang Dynasties. In this period, 3 major statues of Sichuan, the northern low mountain area, the western Sichuan plain area, the hilly area of Sichuan Basin, began to appear cliff statues.The northern low mountain area is mainly Buddhist cliff statues. The other 2 areas are mainly Taoist cliff statues. The quantity of the statues are comparative little and the distribution scope is less and scattered. Those statues are greatly affected by the local models of Northern Dynasty. Phase 2 dating between the High Tang and the Five Dynasties. The statues' quantity and distribution scope reached the peak in this period, and there gradually appeared the Guangyuan-Bazhong,Qionglai-Pujiang-Danling-Renshou,Zizhong-Anyue 3 statues center. Phase 3 dating to the Song Dynasty. In addition to the hilly area of Sichuan Basin, the parallel mountain ridge and valley in eastern basin, the cliff statues activities in other areas of Sichuan moved towards declining. Both regional and overall cliff statues of the Sichuan basin, in the process of development, showed obvious development trends from north to south, from west to east.The distribution of cliff statues in the Sichuan Basin is inseparable with Sichuan's regional economy, unique geographic culture and the national policy etc. First, the national's political situation, religious policy, the location of county seat have certain influence on cliff statues. Second,the distribution of statues and regional economic development are closely linked. The quantity of statues are coincide with the government's administration rank in general, the higher administration rank the more statues. Statues in the distribution and the distribution of the towns have corresponding relationship, cliff statues activities supported by the town. The region rich in high marketability property is an important image area. Third, the development of cliff statues and Temples, eminent monks in distribution have corresponding relationship. The theme of early cliff carvings in the western Sichuan plain area and the hilly area of Sichuan Basin are Taoist statues,which is correlation with the force contrast of Buddhism and Taoism in the Sichuan Basin early.