0178 - 2,000-Year-Old Buddhist Stone Carvings Discovered In Jiangsu Provinc...Back

2,000-Year-Old Buddhist Stone Carvings Discovered In Jiangsu Province. Stone carvings on the cliffs of Kongwang Hill near Lianyungang city, Jiangau province, are the earliest Buddhist carvings ever discovered in China. According to professor Shi Shuqing huqing of the Museum of Chinese History and professor Yu Weichao of Beijing University, these stone carvings mostly relating to Buddhism date back to the Eastern Han dynasty (A.D. 25-220). Kongwang Hill 2.5 kilometres south of Lianyungang city was a centre of economy and culture during the Qin (B.C. 221-207) and Han (B.C. 206-A.D. 220) dynasties. Buddhism and Taoism were the prevalent religions at the time. 110 bas-reliefs were carved along cliffs 8 metres high and 17 metres in length. Most of the carvings portray Buddhas, Bodhisativas, disciples, guardians and followers and depict the stories about Sakyamuni. Stone Sculptures of an elephant and a toad were discovered east and south of the Buddhist carvings respectively. The discovery of these bas-relifs and other carvings will aid the study of Buddhist history and art in China.