Research on the Influence of Buddhism on the Historical ‘City-Mountain’ Landscape in Southwest China

佛教对西南历史“城-山”风景的影响研究
Start - End 
2025 - 2026 (ongoing)
Type 
Department(s) 
Department of Languages and Cultures
Other institution(s) 
Chongqing University
Research Region 
Research Language 
Additional tags 
Urban space
Religion and urban space
Chinese Buddhism
Buddhism and urban space
Southwestern China
Buddhist cultural heritage
City landscapes
gazetteers
方志
religious landscapes
Buddhist landscapes
City Mountain landscape

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Abstract

Throughout Chinese history, mountain worship has shaped the spatial order of ancient cities as a cultural and spiritual anchor, forming a unique "city-mountain" landscape imbued with regional identity and philosophical/religious symbolism. Buddhism, as a critical cultural force, profoundly influenced this tradition. Through its integration with indigenous Chinese culture, Buddhism incorporated Confucian and Daoist ideologies, collectively enriching the cultural fabric of China. The evolution of Buddhist aesthetic concepts elevated original cultural elements of mountain worship into a higher-level aesthetic pursuit, investing natural landscapes with projections of Buddhist ideas. These transformations were a driving force of the "forest monasticism" trend (山林化), where temples increasingly “harmonized” with mountainous environments. Furthermore, the fusion of sacred mountain imagery and Buddhist paradisiacal (乐土) ideals symbolized religious transcendence, gradually permeating the cultural imagination of traditional Chinese urban planning. Buddhist architectural elements—temples, pagodas, and suburban sacred sites—gradually reshaped urban spatial structures and cultural narratives.

 

Southwest China exemplifies the interplay between Buddhism and "city-mountain" landscapes, serving as the gateway for Buddhism’s introduction to China. The region’s historically and culturally renowned cities, marked by dense clusters of temples, pagodas, cliff carvings, and other items of Buddhist heritage, reflect the religion’s enduring impact on urban landscape construction. This study focuses on Southwest China, employing case/field study analysis, the reconstruction of historical-geographic information, and textual research (especially local gazetteers 方志) to systematically investigate Buddhist cultural landscapes, urban monasteries, pagodas, and rock carvings—and their mechanisms in shaping historical urban forms. By analyzing these elements, the research aims to uncover the socio-cultural roots of Buddhism’s localization, deepen our understanding of the relationship between traditional Chinese religions and urban development, and enhance interpretative frameworks for religious-cultural landscapes. The findings hold significance for guiding the preservation of relevant historical heritage sites and advancing interdisciplinary discourse on religious geography and urban history.

中国的山岳崇拜推动着山成为了中国古代城市空间秩序重要的定位参照,熔注着地方精神归属的文化义理,形成了中国独特的传统“城-山”风景。佛教对于中国传统“城-山”风景有着重要的影响作用。随着佛教与中国本土文化的融合,其深入地渗透到传统的中国文化之中,与儒家、道家的思想文化一同汇合成了中国传统文化。随着本土佛教审美观念的形成,佛教中的原始山岳崇拜文化基因向着更高的层次而发展,形成了对自然山岳寄托情思的审美与追求,赋予了山岳更加深刻而丰厚的佛教哲理和文化意蕴,而使得佛寺不断的山林化。同时,这种倾向结合圣山乐土的意象成为了宗教精神境界与理想的象征,逐渐融入中国传统城市营建的文化意象之中。城市中的佛寺、佛塔,以及城市近远郊佛教风景名胜的等物质空间也对城市的景观形成了空间结构上的以及文化内涵上的重要影响作用。

中国西南地区具有“城-山”风景研究的典型性与独特性,佛教是塑造其独特性的重要文化影响因子。佛教“城-山”风景的影响也以中国西南地区为最典型。西南地区是佛教传入中国的首经之地,佛教盛行,佛教对于西南城市的景观营建有着非常深远的影响。各个西南历史文化名城都拥有众多的寺院、佛塔以及摩崖石刻,遗留下了众多佛教历史文化遗产。本课题以中国西南地区为地域范围,基于案例分析法、历史地理信息还原、文献分析法等方法,以西南地区佛教文化盛行的历史文化名城为案例,对于城市中的佛寺、佛塔、摩崖石刻等佛教文化景观进行统计与分析研究,总结佛教对于西南历史城市景观的影响作用以及文化机制。此研究可进一步探讨佛教在中国地方形成的社会根源与文化背景,深入理解中国传统宗教与城市的关系,提升传统城市景观文化与宗教文化的阐释的深度,同时对当前相关历史文化遗产的保护具有指导意义。

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