Between North and South: Buddhist Cliff Sculpture in Northern Sichuan in the First Half of the Seventh Century CE

In the first half of the seventh century CE, clusters of Buddhist cliff sculptures were carved into cliffs and boulders in Guangyuan, Mianyang, Bazhong, and other locations nestled in the northern Sichuan Basin. They mark the start of large-scale Buddhist grotto construction in Sichuan, significantly impacting the establishment of regional grotto traditions in southwestern China. Through analysis of site forms, statue types, and devotional inscriptions, this article argues that these Buddhist cliff sculptures represent a reintegration of divergent Buddhist practices and artistic conventions that emerged during the Southern and Northern Dynasties in northern and southern China. While their niche-based site structure and collective sponsorship through the yiyi association can be traced back to northern China in the prior two centuries, the sculptural style primarily reflects a regional tradition exemplified by the free-standing statues unearthed in Chengdu, central Sichuan in the Southern Dynasties. The construction of these sites, catalyzed by the influx of northern officials and monks into Sichuan toward the end of the Sui and the early Tang, provides valuable material for exploring the social integration of northern and southern China, as well as the religious dynamics between Buddhism and Daoism in northern Sichuan.