The Cliff Paintings In Cangyuan

The Cliff Paintings In Cangyuan

The cliff paintings of Cangyuan County are among the oldest of their kind
 ever discovered in China. There were 11 places where cliff paintings were 
discovered in Cangyuan in 1965, 1978 and 1981.

Most of the paintings were drawn on limestone cliffs that are about 2 to 10 
 meters high from the ground. The biggest painting is 3 meters high and 27
 meters long. Images on it measure 30 centimeters to 5 centimeters. In all,
 there are about 1,063 recognizable images including the sun, human figures, 
animals, buildings, roads, caverns, plants, boats, and even fingerprints etc. 
Most of these images reflect such scenes as collecting, dancing, and wars etc.

It is deduced that Cangyuan cliff paintings were originally drawn in the late 
Neolithic Period some 3,000 years ago. They have served as important materials
 for research into the primitive life styles of minority groups in Yunnan. Their
 rich contents, varying and vivid images concerning many aspects of the primitive
 society eventually contribute to the nickname-“An encyclopedia on the primitive
 society of ethnics in Yunnan”. They are also of great value to be referred to in 
contemporary art creation.