Yunxia Cave Statues, Hangzhou, Zhejiang.

The Yunxia Cave Statues are a typical example of Buddhist statues from the Wuyue Kingdom of the Five Dynasties. They were carved in the natural rock cave of Yunxia Cave, and were created around the third year of the Guangshun period (953). The statues include a variety of subjects, such as Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Ming Kings, Arhats, and pagodas. Among them, the eighteen Arhat statues, which are the most numerous and largest, were carved according to the order and titles of the sixteen Arhats described in the "Dharma Abiding Record of the Great Arhat Nandimitra." On this basis, an unnamed "Arhat" and "Venerable Qingyou" were creatively added to the beginning and end, forming a group of eighteen Arhats. This is the earliest known example of eighteen Arhat statues in China. The Yunxia Cave Statues are an indispensable and valuable historical resource for the study of Buddhist art, with significant historical, cultural, and artistic value. They are a key cultural relic protection unit in Zhejiang Province.