A Brief Report on the Cliff Carvings at Foeryan in Linjiang Township,and at Pusayan in Zhonghe Township in Ziyang,Sichuan Province
The cliff statues from both the Pusayan site at Zhonghe Township and the Foeryan site at Lingjiang Township,both in Ziyang County,Sichuan Province,are located in the Tuojiang River basin,and are highly characteristic of the mid-late Tang dynasty period.The cliff statues of both places are similar in terms of the form of their niches,the themes they contain,and the style of their imagery.Several of the statues at Pusayan are carved with great delicacy and contain no dated inscriptions,while those at Foeryan contain clearly dated inscriptions,though several items seem to have been stolen or damaged.Based on the layout of the cliff surface,the dated inscriptions,and other related reference information,preliminary research has determined that these two groups of cliff statues were carved in the period from the second half of the 8th century to the early 9th century.In addition,activities of small-scale renovation,carving,and decoration have also been found that can be dated to the late Tang dynasty or later.The themes of these statues include a single Buddha,three Buddhas with attendants(including the Eight Offices of Supematural Beings),the fifty-three Buddhas,and various stupas.
Ziyangcliff carvingsmiddle-late Tang dynastyTuojiang River basin
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