Water leakage has been the primary problem for the protection of Dazu Rock Carvings (DRC) along with its whole lifetime, but the effect of leakage treatment was far inferior to the demand of protection in the past few decades. Based on conventional hydrogeological theories, this study has carried out by focusing on the Grottoes Cliff Hydrogeology and the special hydrogeological conditions of the unloading cliffs in the Dafowan have been clarified basically. The research shows: Both the sandstone and mudstone of the Dafowan cliff can be regarded as relatively impermeable materials in seepage flow. The bedding planes and tectonic fractures affected by unloading forces constitute the main seepage flow channels within the DRC cliff zone. Some fractures with ten centimeters aperture may form by horizontal landsides along the strata except unloading force. The strata formation of Baodingshan is nearly horizontal, but the EW and SN trending wide-flat folds by tectonic movements of Sichuan and North China periods are very important for the seepage of unloading and unsaturated cliff zones. Water sample analysis from the research area reveals: A complex flow system with long-range and short-range seepage are coexisting within the same space. Geological rock-water interaction and human effects combine along the flow path in the particular cultural cliff rockmass. The flow and material inside water indirectly control derived diseases such as dissolution and salt precipitation. Based on the water level distribution analysis, the hill behind the carving cliff affected by unloading force can be divided into three zones. The non-unloading effect zone is greater than 2 times height of the cliff. The unloading influence zone is 1-2 times the height, and the strong unloading zone is within 1 time the height range. The non-unloading effect zone is dominated by pore saturated flow in the loose soil layer and weathered fractured layer, while the strong unloading zone is dominated by unsaturated and multi-layered fissure flows. The role of opening fractures with high penetration ability must be contemplated dialectically, the leakage water diseases can be aggregated inside these fractures and the seepage flow will be alleviated around these fractures at the same time. The main underground stream flow systems, with complicated mutual crossing flow and leakage recharge inside different flow, have been analyzed. Through this study, a theoretical basis is provided for the systematic and minimal intervention of water seepage treatment in Dafowan, and an example is provided for constructing micro hydrogeological condition models under the special terrain, landform, and environment of cliffs with cultural grottoes and carvings.

Most cave temples in China are hosted in sandstone cliffs, which are susceptible to various weathering-induced deteriorations under environmental influences. Among these, surface pulverizing and exfoliation are particularly prevalent, characterized by their extensive distribution and severe impact on the historical and artistic value of sandstone cultural heritage. Feasible and effective consolidation techniques are urgently required to address these issues. Taking the surface pulverizing exfoliation disease at the North Grotto Temple of Qingyang as an example, three reinforcement methods were tested based on the morphological features of the deteriorated surfaces, including spraying, emulsion adsorption and drip infiltration. Through systematic experiments, critical parameters for spraying reinforcement were identified, and the efficacy of solute materials in emulsion adsorption was validated. The results of three methods for reinforcing sandstones of the North Grotto Temple were also evaluated by various qualitative and quantitative analyses.The study clarified the adaptability of these techniques to surface pulverizing exfoliation disease on different sandstone grotto temples, argued that spraying functioned as the foundational method, combined with emulsion adsorption and drip infiltration to meet diverse consolidation requirements. It provides practical insights and methodologies for refining anti-weathering reinforcement technologies and evaluating their effectiveness in cave temple conservation.

The Thousand-armed Avalokitesvara, which was excavated at Gaobeidian of Hebei Province in China and could be dated back to the first year of the Zhengsheng Era of the Tang Dynasty, is the earliest one all over the country until now. It embodies both the stylistic characteristics and distinctive regional features of sculptures from the early Tang Dynasty. By referencing Buddhist scriptures and drawing upon existing images of multi-armed Avalokitesvara, Chinese craftsmen employed local sculptural traditions by utilizing white marble as the medium and adopting the style integrating the primary statue with the back screen. They innovatively depicted the one-thousand-hand through reliefs of hundreds of small hands, creating an iconic representation of great compassion.

Chongqing is one of the renowned cultural centers in southwest China during the Song Dynasty. Feng Shixing and the Jinyun Academy that he founded on Jinyun Mountain became intellectual representative of eastern Sichuan. This paper reviews the history of Feng Shixing's studies, sorts through existing scholarly research achievements, and considers that the current studies mainly focus on his literary achievements and the opinions about him on his political stance of resisting surrender to uphold the Song Dynasty. Regardless of his status as a leading figure of Yijing (Classics of Changes) studies in Chongqing, Feng Shixing's great contributions to studies on the Yijing have been overlooked. His engagement with Buddhist and Taoist thoughts also lacks systematic examination. Feng Shixing was profoundly influenced by Buddhist and Taoist philosophies throughout his life. To a certain extent, his otherworldly mindset is the reason why he resided peacefully on Jinyun Mountain. Inspired by Master Taixu's establishment of the Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Institute on Jinyun Mountain during the Anti-Japanese War, the paper finally proposes that it could be a timely initiative to cultivate a new era with distinctive cultural innovation, to revive the Jinyun Academy by integrating global cultural traditions into Jinyun culture.

The Shifugou Cliff Sculptures of Wuan comprise 18 extant niches, with inscriptions dated to the 2^nd year of the Xining era in the Northern Song Dynasty. The Baijiazhuang Cliff Sculptures feature 22 extant niches, including inscriptions from the 8^th year of the Jiayou era of the Northern Song Dynasty. The Cejingcun Cliff Sculptures contain 24 extant niches, including inscriptions from the 1^st and the 3^rd year of the Yuanfeng era of the Northern Song dynasty. These three sites show rich contents, including popular theme of the Northern Song Dynasty, such as the Three Sages of Huayan, the Sixteen Arhats, and the Water-Moon Avalokitesvara, which make them typical from the Northern Song period in southern Hebei. At the same time, the emergence of new iconography such as the combination of Water-Moon Avalokitesvara and animal imagery, and the depiction of Shelifu, reflects the secularization of Buddhism.

The Dazu area is perennially humid, making it conducive to the survival and reproduction of organisms 
such as mold, bacteria, and lichens, which pose serious biological disease problems to the Dazu Rock Carvings. In this study, traditional microbial culture and metagenomic sequencing techniques are used to identify and classify the types of biological diseases in the Reclining Buddha at Baoding Mountain and Xiaofowan, Dazu Rock Carvings, and to investigate and evaluate their damage levels. Laboratory culture and isolation identifies 7 species of molds and bacteria, while molecular-level sequencing identifies as many as 180 known microbial genera, including more than 80 genera of bacteria and over 30 genera of fungi, covering 4 categories: bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. To effectively prevent and eradicate microorganisms and thereby reduce their damage to the rock carvings, biological disease control agents are developed and screened through a combination of laboratory verification and application effect evaluation. Continuous observation and testing of the experimental sample areas in the Reclining Buddha at Baoding Mountain and Xiaofowan indicate that the occurrence of biological diseases such as mold, algae, and moss in the experimental group is significantly less than that in the untreated control group. After 6 years of continuous follow-up research, the application effect of the biological disease control agent shows goodefficacy, with an effective duration of up to 3 years, efficiently inhibiting mold, lichens, bacteria, etc, and the inhibitory effect begins to decline after more than 3 years.

In the Song and Jin dynasties, a large number of craftsmen signed their names in the inscriptions of grottoes, mainly concentrated in the grottoes complexes in northern Shaanxi, eastern Gansu and eastern Sichuan.According to the current investigation, a total of more than 100 craftsman names have been documented. These historical sources reveal information regarding their organizational structures, professional titles, and social statuses. Through investigation and analysis, it considers that the historical transformation during the early modern period have made great progress and promotion in craftsmen’s status, ideological perspectives, and cultural engagement, which constitute the main reason for the rise of the signature trend.

During the late Southern Song Dynasty, the Liu-Zhao Sect carried out large-scale statue-making activities in eastern Sichuan. Three unique self-created statues—Liu Benzun, Curly-Haired Figures and Straight-Haired Figures—are widely distributed within the sect's iconographic system, collectively reflecting its organizational structure. The statue of Liu Benzun, depicted as a standardized grha-pati (lay Buddhist) figure, wears a Dongpo scarf and a cross-collared garment with only one eye, one ear and one arm. Curly-Haired Figures are characterized by their tightly curly hair, while Straight-Haired Figures feature straight ear-length hair. Through systematic collection, sorting and study of three kinds of statues, it argues that the people composing the Liu-Zhao Sect are divided into three hierarchical categories. Liu Juzhi, the supreme Benzun patriarch, serves as sect's leader. The Curly-Haired Figures, symbolizing senior devotees proficient in Buddhist teachings, form the core. The Straight-Haired Figure who represent the ordinary followers constitute the foundation. In the sect's idealized structure, grha-pati dominates. The sect enshrine a group of well-known grha-pati figures in their grottos. The statue of Vimalakirti is worshipped atop the Buddha altar in the Small Buddha Bay of Baoding Mountain, while important niches and caves of Big Buddha Bay and Huayan Cave display the names, images and works of Fu Dashi, Li Tongxuan, and Yang Jie, further underscoring the special attributes of the Liu-Zhao Sect as a grha-pati-centered religious community.

At the Chaoyuanguan Site in Jiangjin District of Chongqing City, there are five extant niches of statues in the Sanqingdian grottoes. With clear subject, these statues contain the Three Pristme Ones (三清), Confucius and Zhuangzi (庄子), Shakyamuni and Yinzi (尹子), the Five Sacred Emperors of the Five Sacred Mountains (五岳五天圣帝), and the Five Elders Deities (五老五炁天君). Based on the subjects, styles, architectural age of this site and inscriptions, these statues are dated to the Qing Dynasty. They serve as a reliable reference for identifying the subjects and dating statues in the Sichuan-Chongqing region during the Qing era. They also reflect the spread of the Complete Perfection Tradition (Quanzhen Dao 全真道), Dragon Gate Sect (Longmen Pai 龙门派) in the southwestern part of China, providing new material for studying the integration of the three major religions—Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism—during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Liu Benzun Buddhism, which was popular in eastern Sichuan during the Southern Song Dynasty, had a profound influence on the local folk society. Liu's deeds are rarely recorded in official historical records, mainly in folk inscriptions, inscriptions of carving statues and local Chronicles. Among them, there are relatively detailed records about Liu Benzun in both the Biography of Liu Benzun rewritten by Zujue, Zen master of the Southern Song Dynasty, and the inscriptions of Tableau of Liu Benzun' s Ten Austerities. The rest are available in inscriptions and local Chronicles from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Through collation and research of Liu's historical documents, it lays a foundation for a comprehensive understanding of Liu Benzun's historical deeds and their social influence.

The 2024 International Symposium on Dazu Studies was held in Dazu of Chongqing from December 4 to 7 in 2024. The meeting was organized by the Academy of Dazu Rock Carvings, and co-organized by the Department of Cultural Heritage and Museology of Fudan University, the School of Archaeology and Museology of Sichuan University and the Liberal Arts College of Chongqing University. A total of 125 specialists and scholars from 12 countries and regions, including China, the United States, Canada, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Italy, Japan, Cambodia, Singapore, Nigeria, and Rwanda, gathered in Dazu for the meeting for in-depth discussions on the Dazu Studies and the excavation, conservation and utilization of grottoes from an international perspectives.

Through the analysis of the statue of Queen Shuming in the Dazu Rock Carvings, this paper argues that a folk belief in Queen Shuming had formed during this period, which was primarily centered on granting children and healing eye diseases. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, the cult of Shuming within the Dongyue belief system has further evolved, with child-granting and eyesight restoration becoming one of the main contents of the Dongyue goddess belief.

Zhao Zhifeng, an eminent monk of Tantric Buddhism during the Southern Song Dynasty, presided over the one-off construction of the Baodingshan Rock Carvings, which collectively manifested his Buddhist belief and philosophical system. The carvings highlight the unique features of Sichuan Tantric Buddhism inherited from the doctrinal tenets of Liu Benzun. By integrating the practices of the Ten Refinements of the Body and Eight Attainments of Sacredness into Vajradhātu Mahā Maṇḍala, the Baodingshan Rock Carvings by Zhao Zhifeng is a localized innovation of the Buddhist framework of Ten Directions and Three Saints from the late Yoga Tantra and fully embodies the principles of the traditional Tantric Buddhist thought of spiritual attainments through ritual offerings and the Chinese Tantric Buddhist thought of attaining Buddhahood in one’s present body.

There is a stele named Biography of Liu Benzun of the Tang Dynasty remaining at Baoding Mountain, 
Dazu. In Dazu and the neighboring Anyue area, there are three sets of Ten Austerities, mainly depicting the 
cultivation and preaching activities of Liu Benzun, a lay Buddhist of the Esoteric School in the late Tang Dynasty 
specializing in the Five-Part Esoteric Dharma of the Great Wheel and skilled in treating diseases with religious 
means such as talismans and incantations. He had a wide social influence in the western Sichuan region at that 
time. Liu Benzun’s medical and preaching activities reflect the reality of Buddhist monks promoting Buddhism through medicine under the complex political situation in the late Tang and Five Dynasties period, and reveal the development of Buddhist medicine and local religions since the Tang Dynasty, which have significant historical value.

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The Baoshi Mountain Cliff Carvings are located on Baoshi Mountain, Hangzhou. There are 23 cliff  niches, 29 cliff statues, and 11 cliff inscriptions extant. From 2021 to 2024, the authors conducted a detailed investigation of the niches, statues, inscriptions, and other contents of the Baoshi Mountain Cliff Carvings, and found many inscriptions from the Northern Song Dynasty that had not been documented in any historical records. Therefore, the Baoshi Mountain Cliff Carvings were re-dated and re-periodized, leading to the conclusion that they were first carved in the Northern Song Dynasty and continued through the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties and into the Republican period. Due to its extensive historical span, rich subject content, and diverse inscriptions, it stands as a valuable example among the cliff carvings around West Lake in Hangzhou.

Northern Sichuan is located adjacent to the Hanzhong Basin to the east, connects to the Chengdu Plain to the west, extends to the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the north, and encompasses the upper reaches of the Jialing River to the south. This region served as a crucial transportation corridor between the Central Plains in the north and the southwestern borderlands, making it a key area for cultural integration and interaction between northern and southern China. In the first half of the 7th century, Buddhist cliff sculptures surged in various locations, including Guangyuan, Bazhong, Jian'ge, Zitong, Mianyang, Langzhong, and Maoxian. These sculptures, which exhibit similar niche forms and artistic styles, mark the beginning of large-scale standardized grotto construction in the Sichuan-Chongqing region. Their significance lies in helping understand not only the north-to-south transregional dissemination of grottoes, but also the establishment of local tradition in the southwest. This article examines the construction models of Buddhist cliff sculptures in northern Sichuan from the late Sui to the early Tang Dynasty through spatial distribution, subject matter, and inscriptions. Drawing on existing research on sites announced to public and historical documents, it explores the forces that contributed to the flourishing of these grottoes and sheds light on the complex social and cultural interactions between the Central Plains and the Sichuan-Chongqing region.

The cliff sculptures on Yuchan Mountain in Luxian County of Sichuan were mainly carved during the Ming Dynasty. Among them, the niche of Nine Loongs Bathing the Prince located around the Thousand-handed Avalokitesvara is themed on Jātaka tales, which represents a relatively rare subject matter containing rich historical information in grottoes of the Sichuan-Chongqing region. This niche of bathing the prince is a type developed during the later period in the eastward transmission of similar subject matter. The hand gestures of the prince is also a distinctive feature representing both a return of early iconography and an integration of three scenes, including birth, loong bathing and seven-step declaration. The construction of the niche of loong bathing the prince on Yuchan Mountain might be resulted from the belief in Shakyamuni and the tradition of praying for blessings.

The Dazu Rock Carvings, an outstanding example of the Sichuan-Chongqing grotto traditions, have evolved through three distinct phases of academic documentation and research. The Comprehensive Record of Dazu Rock Carvings (3 volumes) newly published by the Academy of Dazu Rock Carvings marks a very important contribution to this field. This work systematically catalogs all 75 protected cultural heritage units of grottoes and cliff statues within the Dazu district, integrating high-resolution photographs with critical syntheses of research advances from the past four decades. The Comprehensive Record of Dazu Rock Carvings establishes an essential resource for Dazu Studies and opens new avenues for multidisciplinary research in Buddhist art, regional history, and religious archaeology.

Grotto temples stand as historical witnesses to the mutual exchange between Chinese civilization and 
other civilizations. Among them, the vast number of small and medium-sized grotto temples have long faced 
systematic inadequacies in conservation, representing a vulnerable segment in China's cave temple conservation and utilization system. This study employs the small and medium-sized grottoes of the Dazu Rock Carvings as empirical cases and through a detailed interpretation of their multidimensional value system and an analysis of current challenges, it proposes five fundamental principles for their conservation and utilization. Furthermore, this study systematizes the innovative practices recently implemented by the Academy of Dazu Rock Carvings and it not only highlights that a systematic strategy effectively tackles core issues like structural vulnerability and management fragmentation, but also positively influences value interpretation and social function activation.

In academia, there are two main views regarding the era of mural paintings from the main chamber of Cave 10 in the Yulin Grottoes. Most consider that it could be dated back to Xixia, but some believe that it might be the Yuan Dynasty. The core basis of the Xixia view lies in the fact that the two musical instruments held by the flying apsara musicians in the cave are thought to be Xiqin (奚琴) from Xixia, which is a kind of plucked instrument without a bow. But it's clear to see in the mural painting that the two musical instruments have bows. The bowed string instruments were introduced into China from the West Asia and began to be known in the central plains since the Yuan Dynasty. The murals in Cave 10 of Yulin Grottoes are predominated by blue, which was preferred in the Yuan Dynasty, rather than red that was the favorite color in Xixia. The pattern of Loong (龙) appears in the style of West Asian dragon featuring fierceness, which was special in the Yuan Dynasty and totally different from the Loong characterized by tameness in Xixia. On the south of the west wall in the main chamber of Cave 10, a framed inscription by painter records that seven painters from different places painted a “Tantric painting” at the Yulin Grottoes in 1341 (the seventh year of Zhiyuan Reign in the Yuan Dynasty), which is exactly the mural of Cave 10 in the Yulin Grottoes. It's said that the painting was chipped out of the wall afterwards probably for its large number of Tantric images regarding vidyaraja and vidyarajni. In conclusion, the mural of Cave 10 in Yulin Grottoes should be from the Yuan Dynasty.

The statues of the Pilu Cave at Xiaofowan of the Baodingshan Rock Carvings in Dazu forms a simplified and transformed Vajradhātu Mahā Maṇḍala. The inner court of the Pilu Cave is inhabited by nine deities, including the Five Tathāgatas and the Four Pāramitā Bodhisattvas, which are consistent with statues of Tibetan Buddhist temples and grottoes in the late Tang, the Song and the Yuan dynasties, and of the Xixia caves at Dunhuang. Different from both, there are two Bodhisattvas added to the upper left and right of Vairocana. The outer court of the Pilu Cave is inhabited by Liu Benzun's ten bodies of ascetic practices, the Eight Sacred Witnesses and the Eight Mahā-Vidyarājas. Among them, the eight bodies of Liu Benzun symbolizing the Eight Offering Bodhisattvas, and the Eight Sacred Witnesses jointly constitute the sixteen deities, which are distributed in four directions and equal to the Sixteen Great Bodhisattvas. The other two Liu Benzun's bodies of ascetic practices occupy the upper left and right of the outer court, corresponding to two additionally-added Bodhisattvas in the inner court. Along the lowermost of the outer court are standing the Eight Mahā-Vidyarājas, including the Four Deities Guarding Four Directions and the Four Deities Protecting Four Corners and representing the Eight Guardian Deities. The statues along the gateway, roof and outside walls of the cave constitute the Outer Vajradhātu. The upper 145 seated statues represent the Thousand Buddhas of Bhadrakalpa, the lower 20 devarajās and vidyarajās symbolize the deities of the ten directions who haven't got the name of Vajra and the empowerment granted by Vairocana. The statues involving Vajradhātu Maṇḍala in the Pilu Cave at Xiaofowan of the Baodingshan Rock Carvings in Dazu illustrate Zhao Zhifeng's ascetic practices, offering to Buddhism, attaining enlightenment and becoming Buddha, which reflects the doctrine of Vajrayāna and the manner of Sichuan Esoteric Buddhism and is a typical case of making Buddhism Chinese.

The Buddha statues and engraved scriptures of the Northern Qi Dynasty represented remarkable accomplishments, featuring distinct originality and transitional characteristics. Unlike the slender and elegant statues of the Northern Wei Dynasty or the mature and complete ones of the Tang Dynasty, the statues of the Northern Qi Dynasty presented a unique style of strength and diversity. For instance, the tower-shaped caves of the Xiangtangshan Grottoes in Yecheng and the Buddha statues unearthed in Qingzhou respectively demonstrated the imperial grandeur and the influence of Indian art. The engraved scriptures of the Northern Qi Dynasty also integrated traditional and foreign cultures, marking the initial appearance of large-scale engraved scriptures. This article, through a comprehensive analysis of grottoes, cliff inscriptions and freestanding statues, for the first time comprehensively classified and zoned the Buddha statues and engraved scriptures of the Northern Qi Dynasty. It not only identified the content and form characteristics of each geographical grouping but also revealed the differences and connections among them. It showcases the diversified achievements of Buddhist art in the Northern Qi Dynasty.

As essential part of the religious branch of archaeology in China, Buddhist archaeology confronts three challenges in the course of systematization. The first one is to gradually build up Buddhist archaeology as a discipline with complete disciplinary, academic and discourse systems both to international standard and with Chinese characteristics. The second is to establish the typological system of cultural areas for Buddhist archaeology. The third is to nurture subdisciplines of Buddhist archaeology as an interdisciplinary science. After the century-long development, the Chinese archaeology from time to time requires an retrospect of what Buddhist archaeology has already achieved until now and an outlook of where it will go in the future. In the course of bolstering cultural self-confidence and developing a modern Chinese civilization for a new era, this must be of great significance for developing archaeology with Chinese features, style and ethos.

The Fabaosi Cliff Sculptures is located in Tianle Village, Wansheng Town, Dongpo District, Meishan City. There are 34 extant caves of Buddhist sculptures, mainly including statues of Three Buddhas, Three Worthies of Huayan School, Thousand-handed Avalokitesvara, White-robed Avalokitesvara, Wan Bodhisattva (Ten Thousand Bodhisattvas), Sixteen Arhats, Vaisramana, Dhritarashtra, Illustrations of Vimalakirti Sutra, Illustrations of Bhaisajyaguru, and Illustrations of Thousand-handed Avalokitesvara. Sculptures here can be divided into four groups. According to different characteristics and chronological records of each group, it is inferred that the carving was started from the middle and late Tang Dynasty to the Former and the Later Shu States. The Fabaosi Cliff Sculptures is of significant academic value in completing the system of grottoes in the Minjiang River Basin, and investigating the relationship between painted sculptures of Buddhist temples in Chengdu and their surrounding grottoes, and exploring the path of spreading Buddhist art within the Sichuan basin.

The phenomenon of temporal and spatial superimposition and integration of Northern Dynasties elements 
and Tang Dynasty statues in Cave 45 of Huangze Temple in Guangyuan makes it present a unique artistic style. This artistic phenomenon not only showcases the diversity of the grotto statues but has also drawn academic attention to the exact construction date of this cave. The special hybrid spatial structure that combines the “three niches on three walls” layout with a central pillar in Cave 45 demonstrates the diversity of architectures in Buddhist grottoes from the Guangyuan region during the Northern Dynasties period. Furthermore, the decorative patterns on the central pillar show strong similarities to styles prevalent in the grotto art of the Central Plains during the late Northern Wei dynasty, reflecting the influence of the sinicized artistic style represented by the Longmen Grottoes. Therefore, the architectural form and decorative imagery of Cave 45 serve not only as crucial evidence for its dating but also as important proof for the southward transmission of the grotto art of the late Northern Wei Dynasty from the Central Plains to the southwestern regions.

The more than 70-year history of grottoes conservation in China has witnessed the pivotal role of technological advancements in guiding the preservation and utilization of these sites, which has fundamentally enhanced our theoretical and technical innovation capabilities in the field of grottoes protection. The complexity of grottoes protection and the diversity of environment requires not only the involvement of multiple disciplines, but also the systematic establishment of methods and techniques for preserving materiality and maintaining culture, so as to form a comprehensive, systematic and multidisciplinary theoretical and technical system of grottoes protection. The importance that the government places on the protection technology of the cultural relics and the implementation of major science and technology projects, such as the “National Science and Technology Innovation Center for Cultural Heritage”, makes it possible to achieve this goal.

Cave temple archaeology is an essential branch of Chinese archaeology. In August 2021, the National Cultural Heritage Administration released the “Medium and Long Term Plan for Archaeology of Cave Temples in China (2021—2035)”, which signifies a new phase in China's archaeological research on cave temples. From aspects of Buddhist archaeology, cave temple archaeology and future archaeological work, a preliminary discussion that may benefit the present and future archaeological work of cave temples in China is made in this paper about the connotation, object, and method of Buddhist archaeology, and the normative recording of cave temple archaeology, the cleaning procedures for relics on cliff surface and ruins at cave entrance, the compiling of archaeological reports, and those practical issues demanding attention and solution.

Unearthed from the site of Xiuding Monastery in Anyang, the Buddhist reliquary dated the fifth year of Tianbao's Reign in the Northern Qi Dynasty (554 CE) is the only extant example of stupa-shaped Buddhist reliquary from the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Its structure, shape and decoration combine the characteristics of Gandharan stupa-shaped reliquaries and porcelains in the later period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, reflecting the frequent cultural communication in the Ye City area of the Northern Qi Dynasty. The inscription on the base of the reliquary records the imperial family's activity of stupa construction and offerings to relics of the Buddha in the Northern Qi Dynasty, as well as the importance of Prajna and Nirvana in relic worship practice of the time. The later inscription engraved in the tenth year of Kaihuang's Reign (590 CE) in the Sui Dynasty is a precious historical record of the rise and fall of the Xiuding Monastery in the Northern Qi and Sui dynasties.

The Stele of Wei Junjing serves as a critical historical document shedding light on the political and social dynamics of southern Dongchuan in the tumultuous late Tang Dynasty. Amid repeated upheavals in Dongchuan, Wei Junjing, a representative of the tuhao (local strongman) class in the region, spearheaded a bottom-up political ascent through armed separatist regimes, which enabled the establishment of localized social order and governance system dominated by the local tuhao elite. By integrating military and civilian administration, Wei Junjing's regime fulfilled the political demands of asserting dominance over rural society. The survival strategy and behavioral patterns of Wei Junjing's faction were encapsulated in the dual principles of zunjun (loyalty to the throne) and shoutu (territorial guardianship). Utilizing stone inscriptions as a medium, Wei Junjing meticulously crafted an image of zhongjie (loyalty and integrity) to legitimize his authority, consolidate group cohesion, and reinforce his political foundation. Simultaneously, the stele subtly conveyed his faction's latent centrifugal tendencies toward jieshuai (military governor) of Dongchuan.

To conceive of Chinese Buddhist ritual as an eternal, environmental, non-human activity is to propose a paradox. After all, Buddhist liturgies generally take the form of temporary feasts offered to spirits by human officiants within the confines of defined ritual arenas. However, a number of texts, images, and sites created in Song-dynasty China suggest that premodern worshippers developed remarkably creative means of conceptualizing time, space, and agency in order to expand the efficacy of ritual. Shizhuanshan in Dazu provides a particularly good example of this. This essay uses Actor-Network Theory (ANT) to consider how Shizhuanshan's carved images, texts, and landscape work together to exert agency and to extend the efficacy of ritual eternally.

To consolidate the sense of a community for the Chinese nation is to inherit and carry forward fine traditional Chinese culture based on the long history of Chinese nation. As significant cultural heritages, cave temples embody five distinctive features of Chinese civilization, including consistency, originality, unity, inclusiveness and the peace. The conservation and use of cave temples must focus on research and interpretation of fine traditional Chinese culture, and ground efforts on the sense of a community for the Chinese nation, and discover its historical value, so as to build the common spiritual homeland for the Chinese nation and serve the overall interests of the country.

Dunhuang, located in the west of the Hexi Corridor and the east of the ancient Xiyu, serves as a bridge connecting the two regions and is a place overflowing with multicultural and multireligious influences. Many ethnic groups active in ancient inland Asia have once appeared on the stage of Dunhuang. Therefore, compiling A History of Ethnic Minorities in Dunhuang can provide a microcosm of the broader picture, offering insights into the cultural ecology of ancient ethnic groups. Professor Yang dedicates his entire life to the study of Dunhuang studies and ethnology and religious studies in northwest China, emphasizing the elucidation of new materials, new problems, and new methodologies. A History of Ethnic Minorities in Dunhuang is far from being a cliché but rather represents his recent explorations in several fields, including issues related to the Yuezhi, the Shazhou Uyghurs, late-period caves in Dunhuang, and the family of Mogolian Lord Bin and so on. Although these explorations may not be universally accepted by the academic community, they have become unavoidable topics in related fields.

The Sutra of Bhaisajyaguru serves as the primary scripture for the Bhaisajyaguru faith. In the history of 
sutra translation in China, it has been translated into Chinese five times. With the exception of the Liu Song Dynasty translation, the other four versions are preserved in Taishō Tripiṭaka. However, only Bhaisajyaguru-Vaidūrya-Prabhāsa-Saptabuddha-Pūrva-Pranidhana-Sūtra, translated by Yijing of the Tang Dynasty, was transmitted to Tangut. Tangut monks translated Yijing’s Chinese version into Tangut, with some copies preserved in Tangut texts unearthed at Khara-Khoto and Dunhuang. This paper primarily examines the Tangut version of Bhaisajyaguru-Vaidūrya-Prabhāsa-Saptabuddha-Pūrva-Pranidhana-Sūtra unearthed at Khara-Khoto, along with its ritual practices. Specifically, by translating and interpreting Tangut scripture fragments from Khara-Khoto held in British collections, this paper determines the number of extant pages and corrects erroneous indentifications. Subsequently, it investigates the date of the Tangut translation of the sutra and the Tangut monk Dehui’s honorary title as well as his compilation of Homa Ritual for the Bhaisajyaguru-Vaidūrya- Prabhāsa-Saptabuddha, and finally examines various influencing factors of the circulation of the sutra within Tangut.

The cave-temple complex at Bāmiyān lies in the Hindukush Mountains, about 230 km west of Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. Based on the reorganization of relevant literatures, archaeological discoveries and carbon-14 dating results and the mutual verification among them, the article considers that the age of building the cave-temple complex at Bāmiyān, especially the two giant standing Buddha statues, shall be around 600 CE, the time when they were built by the preceding king of the country as recorded by Xuan Zang. And the completion time of most niches and caves could be dated back to the period from the 7th to 8th centuries. Through analysing the shape and structure of niches and caves at Bāmiyān, the layout and combination, the rich contents of statues and frescoes, as well as historical documents, it also suggests that both Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna all prevailed during the 7th century in Bāmiyān. As Chinese Buddhist monk Yijing thought, these two schools remained rooted in the foundational teachings of the Buddha while different.

Among the Buddhist remains in the ancient kingdom of Kucha is a peculiar kind of cave, known as the central pillar cave. Caves of this type are so numerous on the northern route of the Taklamakan that they outnumber the total of caves of the same type throughout the rest of the Buddhist world-clearly showing that this type of cave was a fundamental architecture of the region. Therefore, we name these caves “Kucha-type” central pillar caves. Previous studies have assumed that the Kucha-type central pillar cave was the missing link in the transmission of the Indian caityagṛha to the Northern-Central Chinese pagoda-type cave. In this paper, however, we argue that this was not the case. We compare Kizil Cave 171, a typical Kucha-type central pillar cave, to Yungang Cave 1, a typical pagoda-temple cave, from three different perspectives: architecture, layout of the décor, and iconographic program. We show that there was no direct influence between the two types and suggest that the Indian caityagṛha also had no bearing on the development of the Kucha-type central pillar cave. The paper instead proposes that the three areas developed three different architectural traditions of caves with an unexcavated core that did not directly influence one another. The lack of direct transmission can be attributed to the difference in religious belief and practices, as well as in local architectural traditions.

Cave temples, as an important type of immovable cultural heritage, are the concentrated manifestation of China's brilliant ancient civilization and a historical testimony of exchanges and mutual understanding between Chinese civilization and other ancient civilizations, but they have been subjected to long-term water erosion and damage, with fissure seepage having a particularly serious impact. For the detection, prevention and control technology of fissure seepage in cave temples in the humid areas of southern China, this paper systematically combs through the research progress in fissure seepage detection technology, fissure seepage disease mechanism, fissure seepage management and control technology, monitoring and assessment technology of management effect, and the demonstration and application of the management technology, with a view to providing references to the relevant researches and work.

During the Song Dynasty, Changzhou was classified as an upper-level and military prefecture. Its three  subordinate counties, including Dazu, Yongchuan, and Changyuan, were all designated as upper-level counties. 
According to the local administrative system of the Song Dynasty, it should have been staffed by local officials 
such as the Prefect, the Vice Prefect, prefectural school officers, administrative and clerical staff, and countylevel officials. Based on the historical records of the Song Dynasty and inscriptions of the Dazu Rock Carvings, this article compiles a list of local officials who served in Changzhou, aiming to outline the structure of its 
local bureaucracy during the Song era. The research identifies a total of 77 individuals, including 27 prefects, 3 
vice‑prefects, 5 prefectural‑school officers, 16 administrative and county staff, 16 county magistrates, 1 official in charge of liquor monopoly and taxation, and 9 other prefectural and county officials. However, since He Guangzhen is counted twice for simultaneously serving as County Magistrate and acting Vice Prefect, the final adjusted number of distinct officials in Changzhou is 76.

To study the performance of sandstone under dry-wet cycles, standard cylindrical specimens were prepared from the sandstone of Nankan Grottoes, and indoor dry-wet cycle tests were designed based on the environmental conditions of the grotto area, through comparing the degradation patterns, quality losses, mechanical parameters, and changes in solution ions of rock masses under different cycles, as well as the mineral composition, element content, cementation characteristics, and particle size changes of the samples before and after cycling. The research results indicate that the hydration and decomposition of feldspar minerals in rocks before and after weathering lead to a decrease in their content and an increase in the content of clay minerals. The rapid loss of major cementing elements such as Fe, Ca and Mg inside the rock, leads to the loss of cementing fluid between particles and damage and fracture of the microstructure of the rock mass, resulting in local mineral disintegration; As the number of cycles increases, the compressive strength and shear strength of the rock gradually decrease, and the cohesive force C between particles decreases linearly with the number of cycles, with little effect on the internal friction angle Φ between particles. The dry-wet cycle mainly causes the loss of coarser particles on the rock surface, while the content of clay particles is relatively reduced, resulting in a more concentrated range of particle sizes on the rock surface.

From November 28 to December 1, 2025, the Youth Ambassador Program for Asian Cultural Heritage 
Conservation: 2025 International Youth Academic Exchange on Cave Temples was held in Dazu, Chongqing. 
The event was hosted by the China Academy of Cultural Heritage, the People’s Government of Dazu District, 
Chongqing, and the Academy of Dazu Rock Carvings, and co-organized by the Chongqing Key Laboratory of 
Conservation and Digitalization for Humid-Environment Sandstone Grottoes as well as the Editorial Department of Studies in Dazu Rock Carvings.Young scholars and experts from China, the United Kingdom, Italy, India, Pakistan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Honduras, the Maldives, Sudan and other countries conducted high-level discussions around the theme of Conservation and Inheritance·Innovation and Collaboration.