The Buddhist cliff statues to the north of the Renwang Temple site in Qibaoshan in Hangzhou,Zhejiang Province, which contains a total of three niches and five statues, contains the largest statues of monks carved in the tradition of Han Buddhism from ancient China to have been discovered to date. Judging from the style, themes, and relevant historical records, it can be speculated that these cliff statues were carved during the Northern Song dynasty(978—1127). Since the tenth century, the ancient Liangzhe area(including modern Zhejiang, Shanghai and southern Jiangsu) had become a center of Buddhist activity. The Buddhist statues from Qibaoshan surpass the previous monk statues of the Central Plains in scale and appearance; these magnificent monk statues and accompanying Western Trinity symbols placed to welcome the souls of the dead further signify the historical process of localization and popularization that Buddhism underwent in southern China during the Song dynasty.
