Yunju Stone Sutras

The Yunju stone sutras were formerly called Fangshan stone sutras. The carving began in a temple in Fangshan, Beijing, built by the monk Jingwan during the Sui Dynasty to continue his master’s career of preventing another incident of Buddhism eradication. The carving was continued by his disciples. Over a millennium from the Sui Dynasty Daye years to the Tang Dynasty Zhenguan years, more than one hundred sutras were carved, and more than 14,000 stone sutra blocks were stored in the sutra cave in Shijing (Stone Sutra) Mountain and the sutra cave beneath the south tower in Yunju Temple. Those stone blocks were made of local grey marble or dolomitic limestone. There is not a single mistake on the carved sutra blocks, and every block is a fine piece of calligraphy. The Yunju stone sutras are China’s ‘national treasure’ and precious cultural heritage for the world. To better protect these stone blocks, a concealed storage chamber was built in situ so these valuable blocks can be protected...