Sacred teachings preserved in stone carvings

More than 1,400 years ago, a Buddhist monk climbed a quiet mountain valley in what is today Fangshan district in southwest Beijing. His name was Jingwan, and he carried a concern shared by many Buddhists of his time that sacred teachings might disappear.

Political upheaval, wars and the fragile nature of manuscripts had already led to the loss of many texts. Jingwan believed that if scriptures were carved into stone, they could survive even the most turbulent eras.

He began chiseling Buddhist texts onto stone slabs in the early seventh century during the Sui Dynasty (581-618). What started as a personal effort gradually grew into a monumental undertaking that continued for more than 1,000 years.

Generations of monks, artisans, officials, and ordinary followers carried on the work through successive dynasties, including the Tang (618-907), Liao (916-1125), Jin (1115-1234), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644), and Qing (1644-1911).

Together, they created what scholars today call the Fangshan Stone Sutras, one of the most extensive and long-lasting scripture-preserving projects in the world.

More than 14,000 stone tablets were eventually carved with around 35 million Chinese characters, preserving over 1,100 volumes of Buddhist scriptures.

"These stone sutras form one of the largest 'stone libraries' in the world," says Gao Fumei, head of the history institute of the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.

Hidden in the mountains

Yunju Temple lies at the foot of Shijing Mountain, about 70 kilometers southwest of central Beijing. Rugged hills, winding valleys and clusters of ancient caves form a landscape that has quietly sheltered the scriptures for centuries.

Hidden among the mountains are caves where over 4,000 carved tablets were stored. The mountain itself later became known as Shijing Mountain, or "Stone Sutra Mountain".

"Yunju Temple exists because of the scriptures," says Wang Xiaoning, a guide at the temple and a deputy to the Beijing Municipal People's Congress.

"The temple was built to preserve them, and the scriptures are what give the temple its significance," she says.

Nine caves were eventually carved into the mountainside to store the tablets. Among them, Leiyin Cave is particularly important. It was the earliest artificially constructed cave temple, created specifically for engraving the Fangshan Stone Sutras, and played a central role in their preservation and transmission.

Inscriptions found inside the cave show that it was completed in 616 during the Sui Dynasty. Over 1,400 years later, many of its structures and relics remain remarkably intact, offering a rare insight into early Buddhist architecture.

Monumental craftsmanship

Creating the stone sutras required extraordinary effort and remarkable craftsmanship.

The stone used for the tablets was quarried in Dushu village, about 10 kilometers from Yunju Temple. After extraction, the blocks were transported to carving workshops before being moved to the mountain caves.

The stone tablets were produced in roughly three standard sizes: large — about 214 centimeters long and 60 cm wide; medium — about 160 cm long and 62 cm wide; and small — about 46 cm long and 76 cm wide. Some of the larger tablets weigh nearly one metric ton.

"The stone used here is a type of locally sourced marble that is suitable for carving yet durable enough to last centuries," Wang says.

Carving and transporting such massive stones were immense challenges in ancient times.

"If a single character was incorrect, the entire surface had to be polished down and carved again," she explains.

Despite the enormous effort required, the project continued for more than a millennium, supported by the faith and dedication of generations of believers.

Scholars note that the carvings are remarkably accurate, with almost no errors found among the millions of engraved characters.

A shared endeavor

Historical inscriptions reveal that the Fangshan Stone Sutras were created through the collective efforts of people from many backgrounds.

"Participants included Han people, and the Khitan, Jurchen and Mongolian communities," Wang says.

Funding for the project came from both imperial patronage and public donations. Historical records mention support from rulers such as Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty and Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty.

Ordinary followers also contributed.

Some inscriptions record donations from village associations or merchant groups that sponsored the carving of specific passages.

"These inscriptions show that the project was deeply rooted in society," says Gao, with the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.

"Monks, officials and ordinary believers all participated in preserving Buddhist teachings for future generations."

Over 1,000 years, people of various ethnic groups strengthened their interactions, exchanges and integration through the shared cultural practice of sutra engraving, she says.

Beyond its religious significance, the Fangshan Stone Sutras hold extraordinary academic value.

Among the most important discoveries are tablets carved during the Liao and Jin dynasties that preserve texts from the Khitan Tripitaka, a Buddhist canon compiled during the Liao Dynasty that has otherwise been largely lost.

"The stone tablets preserved here provide crucial evidence for reconstructing this lost Buddhist canon," says Zhang Mingwu, associate professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a report from Beijing News.

Because the scriptures were carved into stone and preserved at their original location, they have survived in relatively stable condition compared with many fragile manuscripts or woodblock prints.

For scholars studying Buddhist literature and ancient printing traditions, the collection offers an invaluable resource.

Digitalization in focus

Today, preserving the stone sutras has become a major focus for cultural heritage authorities.

A digital preservation initiative, known as the "micro-trace imaging project for endangered stone inscriptions at Yunju Temple", was launched in the spring of 2025. The project uses advanced imaging technology to capture carving traces that are difficult to detect with the naked eye, according to a report by Xinhua News Agency.

For heritage experts, the digitalization work is part of a broader effort to preserve the stone sutras and make their cultural value more accessible.

The scriptures located in mountain caves are particularly vulnerable to natural erosion, according to a senior administrative staff member at the temple.

"Many of the stone sutras on Shijing Mountain have been exposed to weathering for centuries," according to the staff member. "Using modern digital technology to record their cultural information is therefore extremely urgent."

Historical records show that large-scale rubbings of the stone inscriptions were made between 1956 and 1958, but systematic digital documentation has been lacking ever since.

The new project aims to build a comprehensive digital archive that includes basic data, rubbings, three-dimensional models, micro-trace images, and digital line drawings.

The system will connect heritage conservation, academic research, exhibition, and public education through an integrated digital platform.

Like the Great Wall or the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Fangshan Stone Sutras represent a millennium project.

"Through digital technology, we hope this ancient cultural heritage will live on in the digital world."

Meanwhile, Beijing's municipal cultural heritage authorities have also listed research-based conservation projects for Yunju Temple's pagodas and stone sutras among the city's key cultural relic protection tasks in 2026, according to the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau.

Silent testimony

More than 1,000 years after monk Jingwan began carving the first scriptures into stone, the mountains around Yunju Temple still bear the silent testimony to that extraordinary effort.

Across caves, halls and underground chambers, millions of characters remain etched into stone slabs.

For Wang, the guide who has spent more than two decades introducing the site to visitors, the scriptures carry a message that transcends religion.

"When people carved these texts into stone, they were thinking about the future," she says. "They wanted knowledge to survive even if everything else disappeared."

Across the valleys of Fangshan, the ancient characters remain — enduring reminders of humanity's determination to preserve memory and wisdom.

Today, the stone sutras continue to inspire visitors who come to Yunju Temple to explore this remarkable cultural legacy.

Among them is 15-year-old Zhang Kaiqun, a student from Baoding in Hebei province, who recently toured the site with his family.

"I read about Buddhist scriptures before, but seeing them carved on stone feels completely different," Kaiqun says. "It makes me realize how much effort people put into preserving knowledge."

His mother, Jiang Dongmei, a former Chinese language teacher, says visits like this help children better understand history.

"When students only learn from textbooks, the knowledge can feel distant," she says. "But when they stand in front of these stones carved more than 1,000 years ago, history suddenly becomes real."

Guo Yanqi contributed to this story.