Survey and Research on Cave No. 6 of the Shifotang Grottoes in Fuxian County, Shaanxi#br#

SHI Jiangang, YANG Jun, DONG Shaohua3

Studies In Dazu Rock Carvings ›› 2025 ›› Issue (4) : 20-36.

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Studies In Dazu Rock Carvings ›› 2025 ›› Issue (4) : 20-36. DOI: 10.26953/j.cnki.2097-4698.2025.04.002
Grotto Archaeology

Survey and Research on Cave No. 6 of the Shifotang Grottoes in Fuxian County, Shaanxi#br#

  • SHI Jiangang1, YANG Jun2,DONG Shaohua3#br#
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Abstract

Cave No. 6 of the Shifotang Grottoes in Fuxian County was carved in 1117 CE (the seventh year of the Zhenghe era during the Northern Song Dynasty). Its construction was presided over by monk Yuanzhi, funded by four local devotees including Liu Yan, and carved by artisans such as Jie Ziyong, a member of the famous Jie family of craftsmen in Fuzhou. It is a typical example of a grotto sponsored by the folk in northern Shaanxi during the Song and Jin dynasties. The statues inside the cave are centered around a distinctive combination of the Five Hundred Arhats and the Shakyamuni’s Parinirvana, which is unique to northern Shaanxi. Additionally, it includes images related to the manifestations on Wutai Mountain and the independent Venerable Elder Manjusri Bodhisattva, reflecting the Wutai Mountain Buddhist belief system. This cave is a representative example of the themes and ideologies of Buddhist sculpture in northern Shaanxi during the Song and Jin dynasties and holds significant value for the study of grottoes from this period in the region.

Key words

 Song-Jin period grottoes in northern Shaanxi / Shifotang Grottoes / Five Hundred Arhats / Wutai Mountain belief system

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SHI Jiangang, YANG Jun, DONG Shaohua3. Survey and Research on Cave No. 6 of the Shifotang Grottoes in Fuxian County, Shaanxi#br#[J]. Studies In Dazu Rock Carvings. 2025(4): 20-36 https://doi.org/10.26953/j.cnki.2097-4698.2025.04.002
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