Cliff carvings

On the cliff at the east bank of the Chongduoyongqu River of Shaogang Township, Kangma County, Shigatse Prefecture, there is a large carving work consisting of seven large statues of sitting Buddha, standing Buddha, Maitreya and Taras. The statues face the water, with a mountainat their back. The content and layout indicate that they were made by different craftsmen in different periods. They are very close to the Naining Chode Monastery, which was built during the reign of Trisong Detsen.

The monastery is on the ancient business road leading to South Asia. It once had six Dratsang(schools) for learning about Tibetan Buddhism during its peak period, with about 10,000 monks. The cliff carvings might have been made under the influence of the monastery. In 1904, duringthe war against British invaders, the monks at the monastery fought bravely against the invaders. Finally, the British army destroyed the monastery by fire. Now, only ruins are left, together with the stone carvings. The Zhongmayongqu River basin is also well-known as the “Red Valley.”The stone carvings at Manze Village compose a highlight of the Red Valley landscape.

qingquang

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