In the long history of China, the art of carving is like a pearl in the bright galaxy, shining with eternal light. Among them, the Beishan stone carvings in Dazu District, Chongqing, have become an important part of the world cultural heritage with their unique artistic style and profound cultural connotation. Among the many exquisite stone carvings, there is a statue known as the "Venus of the East", which not only reflects the outstanding artistic talent of ancient craftsmen, but also carries the profound charm of Chinese culture.
The Beishan stone carvings were carved in the late Tang Dynasty and lasted through five dynasties to the Southern Song Dynasty, and are one of the outstanding representatives of late Chinese cave art. On this stone wall, a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva, known as the "Venus of the East", is particularly eye-catching. This statue has a graceful body, smooth lines, a serene and kind facial expression, and a graceful posture that is as graceful and moving as Venus, the goddess of love and beauty in ancient Greek mythology.
The uniqueness of this "Venus of the East" statue lies in its feminine expression and delicate expression. She outlines a supple and dignified image with graceful curves, demonstrating the ancient Chinese artist's understanding of the aesthetics of the human body and the profound interpretation of the spiritual core of Buddhism. Her smile looms brightly, reflecting the broad-mindedness of Buddhism's compassion and the expression of emotions beyond the mundane, allowing the viewer to feel the endless vitality and beauty of humanity in silence.
In addition, the name "Venus of the East" also stems from the high degree of its artistic achievements and worldwide influence. This sculpture skillfully integrates Eastern and Western art elements, combines traditional Chinese aesthetic concepts with the essence of foreign culture, presents a charm of cross-cultural communication, and makes it a dazzling star in the field of sculpture art in China and even the world.
It is worth mentioning that although the name of "Oriental Venus" is not limited to a specific statue in the stone carvings of Beishan in Dazu, it generally refers to those female figures of ancient Chinese stone carvings that also have extremely high artistic value and aesthetic characteristics, such as the Gassho Toothy Bodhisattva of Huayan Temple in Datong, Shanxi, and the Zizhu Guanyin in Anyue County, Sichuan. Each of them shows the breadth and profundity of oriental carving art in its unique art form, and jointly constructs the image of the "Oriental Venus" group on the land of China.
Whether it is the stone carvings of Dazu Beishan or the exquisite statues in other regions, they all tell the glorious course of the thousand-year-old civilization of the Chinese nation with the attitude of "Oriental Venus", and have become vivid teaching materials for us to inherit and protect national cultural treasures, as well as an excellent window to show the charm of oriental art to the world.