"Image" and "Meaning": the Arrangement and Research of Martial Arts Statues in Yungang Grottoes.

The Yungang Grottoes are an exceptional representation of ancient Buddhist rock sculptures in China, serving as a cultural treasure trove of the Chinese nation. They bear significant relevance not only in the realms of history, religion, and art, but also in sports, offering profound connotations and remarkable research value. This study, from the relatively under-explored perspective of martial arts history, uses the methods of literature review, field study, image analysis, and tripartite evidence to investigate the martial arts statues found in the Yungang Grottoes. By comprehensively cataloging, summarizing, and exploring the quantity, subject matter, layout, aesthetic form, and cultural imagery of the martial art statues, the research found that there are 163 martial arts statues in the Yungang Grottoes, covering the themes of archery, boxing, strongman lifting, and weaponry. The " image" of their macro - layout and micro - movements, serving as an intuitive and irreplaceable proof, reflects the historical evolution of Chinese martial arts during the Northern Wei Dynasty. It showcases the aesthetic beauty of unity between Buddhism and martial arts and the distinctive " meaning" of the fusion of various ethnicities during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]