Overview of main images found at Baodingshan, a 12th century Buddhist site outside of Chongqing.

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2. Yellow diamond marks location of Baodingshan.
Taken from UNESCO World Heritage website.

3. 1902 missionary map of Sichuan, with Dazu/Baodingshan marked in red.
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4. Overview of Baodingshan complex – looking from the west side of the river
across Great Buddha Bend at the Buddha in parinirvana image,
hidden by the structure covering the 1000-Armed Guanyin. 1992.

5. Plan of Great Buddha Bend grotto –
Circled numbers highlight narrative tableaux.
“11” marks the location of the Buddha in parinirvana image.

6. Modern entrance to Great Buddha Bend, #24 on the plan

7. View of the river down below

8. Secular inscriptions and later Daoist works near entrance.

9. More secular inscriptions surrounding Vairocana statue, #26 on plan

10. Half bust image of Vairocana flanked by stele.

11. Lion figure, #27 on plan, guarding entrance to Cave of Complete Enlightenment.

12. Interior of Cave of Complete Enlightenment, #28 on plan.

13. 1944 photo taken by Yang Jialuo of interior of same cave.

14. Drawing of the Taming of the Wild Ox tableau.

15. “Again I return to the left side of the south cliff, and follow the cliff to the west,
where are carved nine head of oxen, and ten oxherders. The oxen are either eating
grass or drinking water or haltered lying down or leaning against trees or looking
up to moo, or pulling against their ropes, not wanting to be lead. Some of the
herding boys vigorously drag or whip their oxen, others sleep against a rock, or sit
on a rock and play the flute, or stretch their necks to gaze, or wrestle with each
other.” – translation of text left by 18th
century visitor to the site; image detail from
Oxherding scene.

16. Former entrance to the monastery and temples above.

17. The Eight Guardian Kings, #2 on the plan.

18. Wheel of Transmigration –
The Six Paths of Rebirth

19. Wheel of Transmigration and Baodingshan placard,
#3 and 4 on the plan.

20. Inscription by Song scholar Du Xiaoyan –
right to left ‘ 寶 Bao’ 頂 ding’ 山 shan’ = Precious Summit Mtn

21. Path in front of images shows limited space for worship.

22. Three Huayen images, #5 on the plan.
Offerings to the deities
were placed on the small
altars in front of them.

23. Precious Relic Pagoda,
#6 on plan.
Text reads shelibaota –
“sarira pagoda’

24. 1000-Armed Guanyin under restoration, 2008.
#8 on the plan.

25. Parinirvana of the Buddha, #11 on the plan.
Note birth of the Buddha imagery at far left.

26. Detail of mourners at the parinirvana.

27. 1944 photo of Yang Jialuo expedition to Baodingshan.

28. Looking down at the space in front of the parinirvana image
from the temple above.

29. Birth of the Buddha, part of # 12 on the plan.

30. The Bathing of the baby Buddha by nagas, #12 on the plan.

31. The Peacock Queen, #13 on the plan.

32. Cave of Vairocana, #14 on the plan.

33. Vairocana image inside of cave.

34. “Gentleman for Managing Affairs, Judge of Chongqing Prefecture Lu Jiangzhi, and
Zhang Xian of Jindou, working on the people’s behalf, together with Confucian
school instructors Lu Ling and Liu Tianren of Dazu County, and assistant
instructor Fan Jian of Wu Chang in the eleventh year of the Yongle era [1413], in the
month when chrysanthemums have their yellow flowers, three days before the Chongyang
[Double Brightness] festival, traveled to sincerely inscribe this.”
Rubbing and
inscribed text
found at entrance
to Cave of Vairocana.
Translation below,
highlighting festival
activities at Baodingshan.

35. The Scripture on the Kindness of Parents tableau, #15 on the plan

38. Detail of number 5 of the 10 Kindnesses of Parents

39. Looking back towards the Kindness of Parents tableau
from in front of the Repayment of Kindness tableau.

40. Diagram of tableau # 17 on the plan.

41. The Buddha Preaches the Scripture on the Repayment of Kindness tableau.

42. Detail of one scene from the tableau,
the Buddha Visits his Dying Father

43. Translation of the carved Buddhist text.
Underlined section is what is being represented.

44. The Pure Land at
Great Buddha Bend,
# 18 on the plan.
Detail of being reborn in the Pure Land.

45. The Hell tableau, #20 on the plan.

46. Diagram of the Ten Kings of Hell and the 18 Hells.

47. Detail of monk in hell
with inscribed texts highlighted.

48. “Alas, I have rambled all over the world, and wherever I have climbed
and observed, I have filled my eyes and ears. On my visit to Baoding
today, I have gazed broadly at the cliffs and hollows, and scrutinized the
Buddhist statues in detail, then raising my voice and startling the crowds,
I can say: As for Baoding Temple, the Tang Dynasty’s Master Liu studied Wu
Daozi’s brushwork, and on the surrounding cliffs and pavilions for miles he
chiseled reliefs and carved statues; strange changelings and mysterious monsters;
truly, there has been no other place like it, past or present.” – thoughts of an 18th
century visitor to Baodingshan.

49. Translation of one of the inscribed texts found in hell.

50. Top left: Hell of feces and filth;
[L] Hell of Boiling;
[R] Admonition against Drunkenness

51. Asceticism of Master Liu, #21 on the plan.

52. 1. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
2. Witnesses to Master Liu’s Deeds
3. Master Liu’s 10 Austerities
4. Recipients of Master Liu’s Deeds
5. Ten Wisdom Kings
Diagram of tableau 21 - Master Liu’s Austerities.

53. Austerity number 5 –
Master Liu cutting off
his ear.

54. Plaque showing Dazu and Baodingshan’s acceptance as a World Heritage Site.