These three stone carvings were discovered, which are very rare →

Survey of Tibetan cave temples reveals rare cliff carvings from the Tubo period

This reporter learned from the Tibet Autonomous Region Cultural Relics Protection Institute that during a special survey of cave temples (stone carvings) across the country, archaeologists discovered three cliff carvings in the style of typical Tibetan Buddhist statues in Mangkam County, Qamdo City in eastern Tibet.

(Left) Staff are investigating and recording the cliff carvings at Point B in Chaguoxigou. (Right) The current status of the cliff carvings. (Data picture provided by the Tibet Autonomous Region Cultural Relics Protection Institute)

It is reported that in 2021, an investigation team composed of the Tibet Autonomous Region Cultural Relics Protection Institute, Mangkam County Cultural Bureau and Changdu City Cultural Relics Protection Institute discovered three sites in Juelong Village, Naxi Township, Mangkam County and Randuo Village, Bangda Township, with a total of 11 cliff stone carvings, 10 of which were Buddhist statues in typical Tibetan Buddhist style.

Chi Lie Tsering, a curator at the Tibet Autonomous Region Institute of Cultural Relics Protection, said that based on clues provided by staff from the Mangkam County Cultural Bureau, archaeologists discovered that these three cliff carvings have certain similarities with the Tubo cliff carvings in eastern Tibet, but also show their own uniqueness. Among them are new artistic forms of expression, such as suspected upturned-brimmed hats and large round earrings, as well as relatively rare subjects, such as Sakyamuni Buddha, Samantabhadra riding an elephant, and Manjusri Bodhisattva riding a lion.

(Left) Schematic diagram of the distribution of cliff carvings at Point B in Chaguoxigou, (right) the statue of Manjusri riding a lion in Randu Village. (Partial line map of the cliff carvings provided by the Tibet Autonomous Region Cultural Relics Research Institute)

"These precious cliff carvings provide important information for further research on the spatial distribution of Tibetan Buddhist statues, artistic inheritance and ideological dissemination. Among them, we clearly discovered the two statues of Manjusri riding a lion and Samantabhadra riding an elephant, which appeared under the influence of Mahayana Lotus Sutra and Avatamsaka Sutra. This has important academic value for further promoting the cultural exchanges between Han and Tibetans in the Tang Dynasty and the study of the ancient Tang-Tibet Road. " said Chi Lie Tsering.

The special survey of cave temples and cliff carvings in Tibet was launched in December 2020. Data shows that as of now, Tibet has surveyed a total of 277 cave temples and cliff carvings, including 7 national key cultural relics protection sites, 23 cultural relics protection sites at the Tibet Autonomous Region level, 48 city and county-level cultural relics protection sites, and 199 general cultural relics sites.

Source: Xinhua News Agency