色彩艳丽的南龛石窟造像。
南龛石窟
南龛石壁为白砂石地质。
生动明艳的石刻佛像。
米仓古道
米仓古道，是古代重要的入川通道，历史可追溯至夏商，可谓中国最早的“国道”。巴中位于米仓古道要塞，唐宋时期，南来北往的商人、官员和文人在此驻足，沿着山崖石壁开窟造像、装彩题词，其中尤以南龛石窟最为卓绝……
The Micang Ancient Road is an important passageway into Sichuan dating back to the Xia and Shang Dynasties, making it one of China's earliest "national roads". Bazhong is located at a key strategic point along this ancient route. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, merchants, officials, and scholars from the south and north would stop here. They carved grottoes, created statues, and inscribed colorful texts along the cliffs. Among these, the Nankan Grottoes are particularly renowned.
南龛石窟是四川巴中境内规模最大、保存最为完好的摩崖造像群，窟区全长252米，有碑碣、造像记、题记68处，诗文130余条、佛塔18座。作为中国十大石窟之一，南龛石窟坐西朝东分布着176龛2700余尊大小不一、形态各异的石刻佛像。让人惊异的是，南龛石窟虽距今已有1300多年历史，但造像颜色依旧生动明艳。
The Nankan Grottoes are known as the largest and best-preserved group of cliff carvings in Bazhong, Sichuan. The total length of the grotto area is 252 meters. There are 68 inscribed tablets, statue creation notes and remarks, over 130 poems and writings, and 18 Buddhist pagodas. Listed among China’s top 10 grottoes, the Nankan Grottoes include 176 niches with over 2,700 stone-carved Buddha statues of varying sizes and shapes, all arranged from west to east. An astonishing fact about the Nankan Grottoes is that, though they boast a history of over 1,300 years, the colors of the statues remain vibrant and vivid.
研究表明，南龛石壁为白砂石地质，有利于颜料渗透。石窟造像塑彩提取纯天然植物和矿物质色素，经久耐用，彰显了古人的智慧和制作工艺。
According to research, the cliffs of the Nankan Grottoes are made up of white sandstone which facilitates the permeation of pigments. The colors used for the statues are extracted from natural plant and mineral pigments, allowing for durable quality and demonstrating the ancients’wisdom and craftsmanship.
佛像温和慈祥，菩萨造像妩媚秀美，天王威严凛然，力士遒劲刚健，极富世俗人物的情感与生活气息。被誉为“盛唐彩雕、全国第一”的南龛石窟，雕刻圆润，色彩艳丽。站在南龛石窟面前，一眼千年，梦回大唐。
The Buddha statues are mild and benign, the Bodhisattva statues are charming and graceful, the Heavenly Kings are majestic and awe-inspiring, and the warriors are vigorous and sturdy. They are rich in the emotions and worldly features of mortal beings. The Nankan Grottoes, hailed as“China’s Top 1 Colored Statues from the Tang Dynasty”, feature smooth carvings and brilliant colors. Standing in front of the Nankan Grottoes, a single gaze brings us back to the Tang Dynasty of millennia ago.
中文作者：四川日报全媒体记者 卢丽嘉
英文作者：四川国际传播中心记者 刘动
摄影：卢丽嘉