The Flower Mountain Rock Art Scenic Area is a core component of the World Cultural Heritage site, Left Bank Flower Mountain Rock Art Culture Landscape, located 25 kilometers northwest of Ningshan County, Chongzuo City, Guangxi Province. Here you can find relics left behind by the ancestors of the Zhuang minority group and the Yue people from the Qin to Han dynasties, a renowned ancient rock art site in China.
The Flower Mountain Rock Art is famous for its grand scale, dramatic setting, and numerous images. The main distribution area is on the north bank of Mingjiang River in Ningshan County, with the murals facing the river and the rugged cliffs sloping inward. The mural stretches about 172 meters long, reaching as high as 90-odd meters above the water level at its highest point, and rises to a height of around 30 meters from the bottom before dropping off sharply within 3-10 meters below the mountain foot.
The murals are painted using red ochre made from iron-rich powder on natural rock walls. There are over 1900 preserved images, including human figures, animals, and objects, with humans making up the majority. The human figures only depict heads, necks, bodies, and limbs without detailed facial features or other small parts. Two main pose styles can be identified: the front-facing figure style, which is more grand in scale, with arms stretched out to both sides, elbows raised, legs spread apart, knees bent at a 45-degree angle, and waist adorned with a long sword; and the side-view figure style, which is smaller in size, with arms extended from the chest area, feet moving forward, face turned sideways, giving an impression of taking jumps.
The animal images mainly feature dogs running to one side. The object images are mostly swords, longswords, bronze drums, and bronze ram horns.
These images overlap on the mural surface and form individual units, filling up the entire canvas piece by piece.
As China’s largest single rock art site in terms of scale, content richness, and preservation quality, Flower Mountain Rock Art possesses extremely high artistic value and historical significance. It was successfully inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 15, 2016, filling a gap in China’s rock art cultural heritage projects.
To protect this precious cultural heritage, measures have been taken to limit tourist numbers, strengthen monitoring and maintenance efforts, and undertake preservation work. The scenic area has also actively carried out cultural inheritance and promotional work through exhibition events and performances, aiming to let more people understand and appreciate the unique charm of Flower Mountain Rock Art.
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The Huashan Rock Paintings Scenic Area is a key component of the Left River Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape, a world cultural heritage site located 25 km northwest of Nanning City in Guangxi Province. This area has preserved remnants left by ethnic minority groups such as the Zhuang people who lived along the Liuxi He River during the Qin to Han dynasties and practiced Shamanistic rituals. The paintings are renowned for their grand scale, imposing scene, and numerous figures.
The rock art is concentrated in a series of natural caves on the north bank of Mingjiang River within Ningming County in Guangxi Province. Each painting measures approximately 172 meters long, with the highest point about 90 meters above the river level, while the lower part extends 30 meters out from the river and 3-10 meters up from ground level.
The rock paintings feature red ochre pigments made of hematite powder applied directly to the natural stone walls using twigs or feathers. The preserved figures number over 1900, mainly depicting humans (over 80%), animals, and objects, with human subjects being the most numerous. Human figures are shown without detailed facial features, primarily displaying their upper body, limbs, and weapons.
The rock art is characterized by two basic forms: frontal and profile views of human figures. Frontal figures are depicted standing upright or crouching on one leg, wielding swords or spears; while profiles are often show animals running sideways. The paintings intertwine with each other across the walls, forming coherent units that fill up the entire painting surface.
Huashan Rock Paintings is currently China’s largest individual rock art site in terms of scale and richness, boasting exceptional artistic value and historical significance. In 2016, it was inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List as part of the Left River Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape, filling a gap in China’s list of world cultural heritage sites.
To protect this precious cultural relic, measures have been taken to limit visitor numbers, strengthen monitoring and maintenance efforts. The scenic area is also actively developing cultural legacy and promotion work by organizing exhibitions, performances, and other activities, introducing the unique charm of Huashan Rock Paintings to a wider audience.
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