Sacred teachings preserved in stone carvings

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.