Anyue Rock Carvings 安岳石刻Ānyuè Shíkè

Why go to Anyue Rock Carvings

Anyue county, midway between Chengdu and Chongqing, holds one of China's largest concentrations of Buddhist cliff carvings, scattered across farmland and low hills. The star is Wofoyuan, where a 23-metre Tang-dynasty Buddha reclines on his left side near caves lined with carved scripture; Song-era highlights include the graceful Purple Bamboo Guanyin at Pilu Cave and the bodhisattvas of Huayan Cave. Crowds are thin, and so is public transport.

The story

Carving here began under the Tang and peaked again under the Song, and art historians see Anyue as the link between the Longmen Grottoes in the north and the more famous carvings at neighbouring Dazu in Chongqing. Huayan Cave is thought to have served as a model for Dazu's Baodingshan.

What to see at Anyue Rock Carvings

• Wofoyuan (Reclining Buddha Court) 卧佛院: The 23-metre Tang-dynasty reclining Buddha is the headline, but the surrounding cliffs also hold carved Buddhist scripture and smaller figures. It was one of the first Anyue sites to receive national protection, in 1988.
• Qianfozhai 千佛寨: A cliff-face of Buddhist carvings close to the county town, reachable without a long rural drive. It is part of the national-level Anyue grottoes group.
• Yuanjue Cave 圆觉洞: A hillside grotto complex at the edge of town and the easiest Anyue site for a first look. Its cliff carvings sit among the protected Anyue sites listed in 2006.
• Pilu Cave 毗卢洞: A Song-era carved grotto in the south-east of the county, best known for the Purple Bamboo Guanyin. It has been nationally protected since 2001.
• Huayan Cave 华严洞: A Song-era cave of carved bodhisattvas, in the same south-eastern cluster as Pilu Cave, which makes the two an easy pair.

How to visit Anyue Rock Carvings

The county has well over a hundred carving sites, roughly in three groups: Wofoyuan and the north-west, Qianfozhai and Yuanjue Cave near the county town, and Pilu, Huayan and other caves in the east and south-east. Pick one or two groups and drive between them; public transport is thin and signage sparse. Wofoyuan alone takes about two hours, so a single day suits the north-west plus the town sites, and a second day the eastern caves.

How to get to Anyue Rock Carvings

Anyue has no railway station yet (a Chengdu–Chongqing high-speed line with a stop here is due around 2027), so allow about 2.5 hours by road from Chengdu or Chongqing. The Reclining Buddha lies north of the county town and Pilu Cave about 50 km to the south-east, so hire a car and driver.

Where to stay

Base yourself in Anyue county town, which has the widest choice of rooms and is close to Yuanjue Cave and Qianfozhai. The alternative is to stay in Chengdu or Chongqing and hire a car for a long day trip.

What to eat

• Heartbreak jelly noodles 伤心凉粉: A cold mung-bean-style jelly dressed with chilli, numbing pepper and crunchy toppings, a speciality of Zhouli town in Anyue.
• Fresh Anyue lemon drinks 安岳柠檬茶: Anyue is a major lemon-growing county, and lemon tea and fresh lemon drinks are sold in the county town.

Tips for visiting Anyue Rock Carvings

• The sites are far apart along winding rural roads with sparse signage, so arrange a car and driver through your hotel; Yuanjue Cave, on a hill at the edge of town, is the easy exception.
• With one day, pair Wofoyuan with Yuanjue Cave; with two, add Pilu Cave and Huayan Cave in the south-east of the county.
• Little English is spoken or signed, so save the Chinese names of each site before you go. If you are heading on to Chongqing, the UNESCO-listed Dazu Rock Carvings make a natural follow-on.

Nearby

• Dazu Rock Carvings 大足石刻 80 km
  A cliffside storybook of Buddhist hells, mothers and thousand-armed Guanyin
• Luodai Ancient Town 洛带古镇 100 km
  A Hakka market town on Chengdu's edge, with grand guild halls built by Qing-era settlers
• Zigong, City of Salt and Dinosaurs 自贡 110 km
  Jurassic dinosaurs, ancient brine wells and the lanterns that made the city famous

Also within 30 km: Mumen Temple 木门寺 (under 10 km), Qicai Mingzhu Rural Park, Anju 七彩明珠 (20 km), Kunfo Temple Cliff Carvings 睏佛寺摩崖造像 (20 km), Songjing Taoyuan (Song Well Peach Garden), Daying 宋井桃源 (20 km), Zhuotong Salt Wells 卓筒井 (30 km).

On the map

Open Anyue Rock Carvings on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia: Anyue County