Ancient Buddhist figures found in NW China

Famous for great Buddhist relics in Dunhuang's Mogao Grottoes, northwest China's Gansu Province is rich in Buddhism heritage resources. On June 24, 2009, a new discovery in Buddhist images and articles has been made in many parts of the province during China's Third Cultural Relic Census.

It is learnt from Gansu Provincial Heritage Bureau that this year it had found Buddhist relics in counties of Zhenyuan, Qingcheng and Heshui in Qingyang City; also in Qingshui County in Tianshui City. 24 Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) Buddhist stone figures, in well-preserved situation, have been found in Qingyang City, they are made with excellent craftsmanship and their gestures and expressions are so lively. The staffs of this census also discovered a small stone Buddhist grotto from the Ming Dynasty in Heshui County. There are 20 colored clay figures.

The difference of this brand new relic discovery from the past events is that in these places the figures and grotto are from the Ming Dynasty, not very old. The new findings provide crucial information for research in recent period of Buddhist culture and its development.


(This news article is a translation from Chinese texts for travel reference. It does not represent the views of AbsoluteChinaTours)


More Related Services:
Dunhuang Tours
Lanzhou Tours