The statue of the Longevity King Bodhisattva （Changshou Wang Pusa 长寿王菩萨） first appeared in the late Tang dynasty and remained popular till the Northern Song dynasty. The draft of the image depicted in the statues originated in Chengdu, Sichuan province, and the nearby Anyue Grottoes in the same province contains the largest number of the extant statues. The Longevity King Bodhisattva was born with the ability of extending the lifespans of living beings, and under the influence of Buddhist belief in life-extension in the late Tang and Five Dynasties, it became endowed with the ability to grant people longevity. After the emergence of the Foshuo Shousheng Jing（佛说受生经） in the early Song dynasty, the Longevity King Bodhisattva gained even more new functions. Early images of Longevity King Bodhisattva took on many characteristics of Guanyin （Avalokitesvara）, which further reflects the pervading influence of Guanyin in the sinicization and secularization of Buddhism.
