Field research, led by Professor Wu Jiacai of the North China Rock Art Research Institute, based at the Inner Mongolia Honder College of Arts & Sciences, conducted on 17th September 2026 at the Bingzhouhai Petroglyph Site on the Daqingshan Mountains, middle section of the Yinshan Range, Inner Mongolia, China.
Field research, led by Professor Wu Jiacai of the North China Rock Art Research Institute, based at the Inner Mongolia Honder College of Arts & Sciences, conducted on 17th September 2026 at the Bingzhouhai Petroglyph Site on the Daqingshan Mountains, middle section of the Yinshan Range, Inner Mongolia, China.
The field trip took place in conjunction with the International Academic Symposium on Rock Painting and World Civilizations on 14th September 2026. The symposium took place under the guidance of the China International Communications Group (CICG), and hosted by the Inner Mongolia Honder College of Arts and Sciences in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China.
- Professor Wu Jiacai
- Dr Xing Xuanyu
- Li Feng
- Dao Rina
- Lucy Birkbeck
- Peter Robinson
- Tim Streck
- Deng Sen
Bingzhouhai is one of the Yinshan petroglyph concentrations in the Daqingshan (Great Blue Mountains) zone — an area containing thousands of Bronze–Iron Age petroglyphs depicting chariots, warriors, deer‑stone style stags, pastoral life, hunting, and ritual symbols. The Daqingshan sector is one of the most important rock‑art regions in northern China, forming part of the 1000‑km Yinshan arch.
The Daqingshan Mountains form the central–eastern section of the Yinshan Range, north of Hohhot and Baotou. This region contains perhaps 20 rock art concentrations and over 1,500 documented petroglyphs on Permian granite and schist. The Yinshan system overall forms what is known as the 'thousand‑mile gallery' of rock art.
The Bingzhouhai Petroglyphs are located 5 kilometres northwest of Taoheqi Village, Bingzhouhai Township, Tumed Left Banner, Hohhot in Inner Mongolia. The mountain stretches east to west, with an altitude ranging from 1,281 metres to 1,321 metres. Two rivers flank the mountain; the Qianggai River to the west and the Wusutu River to the east. Rolling, overlapping mountains extend endlessly to the north, and Mount Jinluandian, standing 2,200 metres above sea level, lies to the northwest.
The Bingzhouhai Petroglyphs scatter across the stone surfaces and around rock caves on the southern slope of White Pagoda Mountain, stretching 1,000 metres from the pagoda foundation on the west to Cave No. 7. This ancient site centres on petroglyphs and integrates relic pagoda foundations, Buddhist statues, written symbols and residential grottoes as a whole.
About 1,000 metres above the ground within the petroglyph complex lie two cliff caves carved with inscriptions. To the east stands a long corridor of cliff carvings designated No. 1, with another set of cliff inscriptions marked No. 2 above it. A total of 3,075 lines of carved texts cover the mountain face, including 7 lines of Phags-pa script [a Brahmic script based on Tibetan that was used for writing Mongolian, Chinese and other languages during the Mongolian Yuan dynasty 1271-1368], 7 lines of Sanskrit, 3,022 lines of Uyghur-Mongolian script and 33 lines of Tibetan script.
Twenty metres above the lower-tier rock caves sits the middle tier, featuring three sets of grottoes separated by 0.5-metre-wide rock partitions. Running east-west and interconnected, the three grottoes span over 10 metres in total length, stand 2 to 2.3 metres tall, and extend 1.5 to 2.5 metres deep. Cave No. 1 houses nine Buddhist statues, Cave No. 2 three statues, and Cave No. 3 twelve statues. Eaves extend over the grottoes, where beam holes and traces of white lime plaster coating remain clearly visible.
Five metres higher up is Cave No. 4, 1.5 metres tall and 1.5 metres deep, with a single Buddha statue carved into the central rock wall. Thirty to forty metres above the group of Buddha statues are three more grottoes numbered 5, 6 and 7, containing eleven Buddhist statues in total. The mountain holds thirty-six carved Buddha statues in all.
Above the grottoes sits another natural rock cave, 3 metres high and 8 metres deep. In the cave's centre is a natural stone platform 1.5 metres wide, fitted with a manually chiselled circular niche pedestal and a fragmentary stone carving of an animal. A human-made stone wall blocks the cave entrance, mixed with ancient bricks dating back to the Liao, Jin and Yuan dynasties. The western pagoda foundation preserves relics including cloud-patterned bricks from the Northern Wei Dynasty.
- Photograph/Drawing: Wu Jiacai
- Coordinates: Undisclosed
- Altitude: 1,318 metres above sea level
- Orientation: Facing south
- Dimensions: Total height 48 cm, body width 31 cm, base width 40 cm, head thickness 5.7 cm
- Crafting Technique: Rock carving
- Rock Type: Sandstone
- Location: Central part of Cave No.1
- Period: Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534 AD)
The upper left of the Buddha's head, right hand and waist are damaged. Its left hand forms a vajra fist gesture. The Buddha has a full, plump face, slender crescent-shaped eyes, arched eyebrows, prominent and straight broad nostrils, large ears and closed lips, bearing a solemn expression. It wears a full-shouldered robe with a hanging collar, under which a right-shoulder-exposed sanghati [the double-layered outer robe worn by Buddhist monks and nuns - bhikkhus and bhikkhunis] is layered. A large barrel-shaped bead pendant hanging down to the chest adorns its neck. The Buddha's hand gestures and costume style are consistent with Northern Wei Buddhist statues.
Among multiple rock carvings on the Daqingshan Mountains, Buddha Statue No.4 in Cave No.1 dates to the early Northern Wei period. The Northern Wei Dynasty officially established its capital at Shengle (386-398 AD), which lies in the southern valley of the Daqingshan Mountains in the middle Yinshan Range. The Bingzhouhai Grottoes are situated 15 kilometres to its northwest. Carved between 386 and 398 AD, these grotto statues served as preliminary sketches and drafts for the Buddhist sculptures of the Yungang Grottoes in Datong.
Over these 12 years, Tuoba Gui first built Buddhist temples and commissioned early Buddha statues in Shengle. The damage to the upper right cheek of this Buddha statue was inflicted in the second lunar month of 446 AD during Emperor Taiwu's nationwide persecution of Buddhism. The imperial edict ordered all Buddhist scriptures to be burned, all Buddha statues smashed, and all monasteries demolished.
For more information on Bradshaw Foundation Field Trip No. 170926 - The Bingzhouhai Petroglyphs, visit the North China Rock Art Archive.
Bradshaw Foundation
15 October 2026
Bradshaw Foundation
7 July 2026
