ABSTRACT This paper is based on the study of four late to middle to late Tang Dynasty (781–907 CE) and one Song Dynasty (907–1279 CE) Buddhist sites which are set within a kilometre of one another to the south of the ancient centre of Rongxian (荣县), Zigong, Sichuan. The question addressed is whether these five religious sites could have existed as distinct entities, or if over time they became part of a unified whole. Traditionally such sites are considered as independent works of art divorced from their landscape and social context. Since the connections demonstrated in this paper indicate a unity of purpose we suggest that a more holistic approach to the study of such monuments is worthwhile. This paper proposes that although these sites were originally distinct entities during the Tang, they came to be connected by a pilgrimage route defined by the construction of a pagoda in the Song Dynasty.

中文翻译：

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大佛，朝圣者和宝塔：对四川南部融县佛教遗址社会地理的考察

摘要本文基于对四个唐至中后期（公元781-907年）和一个宋朝（公元907-1279年）佛教遗址的研究，这些遗址位于古城南面相距一公里的范围内四川自贡市荣县中心。解决的问题是这五个宗教场所是否可能作为不同的实体存在，或者随着时间的推移它们是否成为一个统一整体的一部分。传统上，此类场所被视为独立于其景观和社会背景的艺术品。由于本文中展示的联系表明了目的的统一，因此我们建议对这种古迹进行更全面的研究是值得的。本文提出，尽管这些遗址本来是唐代时期的独特实体，