Northern Qi Buddhist Culture Tour

Itinerary: Southern Xiangtang Grottoes → Northern Xiangtang Grottoes → Changle Temple → Shuiyu Temple (Minor Xiangtang) → Laoye Mountain Stone Carvings → Wa Palace → Cliff Buddhist Scripture Carvings

The Southern Xiangtang Grottoes stand northwest of Zhifang Village in Linshui Town, on the southern foot of Gushan Mountain and the northern bank of the Fuyang River. Auxiliary structures including halls, cliffside towers and ancient pagodas still remain nearby.

Seven grottoes of different sizes have been preserved, arranged on two tiers: five caves on the upper level and two on the lower level. From bottom to top, they are the Avatamsaka Cave, Prajna Cave, Empty Cave, Amitabha Cave, Sakyamuni Cave, Warrior Cave and Thousand-Buddha Cave.

The Avatamsaka Cave is the largest one, measuring 4.9 metres in height and 6.3 metres in both width and depth. It houses carved inscriptions of the Avatamsaka Sutra, hence its name. On the upper central part of the south wall lies a huge relief depicting the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha. The upper section of the central southern pillar features reliefs of Sakyamuni preaching and stories from the Buddha’s previous lives.

The Thousand-Buddha Cave on the upper tier is exquisitely shaped and well preserved.

The Northern Xiangtang Grottoes are situated on the western slope of Heavenly Palace Peak, east of Hecun Village. There are nine caves in total. From left to right: Daye Cave, Scripture-Carving Cave, Two-Buddha Cave, Sakyamuni Cave, Jiajing Cave, Unnamed Cave, Giant Buddha Cave, plus two more unnamed caves.

The Giant Buddha Cave boasts the grandest scale and the most magnificent decorations. It is 13.3 metres deep, 13 metres wide and 11.4 metres high. The main statue in the front niche is a seated Sakyamuni Buddha standing 5 metres tall including the base. With well-proportioned and solemn features, it is the largest Buddha sculpture in the Xiangtang Grottoes. The rear wall is decorated with exquisite relief carvings of flames and honeysuckle patterns interspersed with seven fire dragons. The elaborate ornamentation represents the outstanding artistic craftsmanship of the Northern Qi Dynasty.

Wa Palace is China’s oldest and largest ancient architectural complex dedicated to the primordial goddess Nüwa. It was another imperial temporary palace built by Emperor Wenxuan Gao Yang of the Northern Qi Dynasty for his travels between Ye City and Jinyang. It is listed as a key provincial cultural relic protection unit.

Originally three stone chambers were chiselled with several divine statues. After continuous reconstruction and expansion over successive dynasties, the complex now has 135 buildings covering 760,000 square metres, divided into upper and lower sections on the mountain. Down the slope stand Chaoyuan Palace, Tingcan Palace, Guangsheng Palace and memorial archways. Following the winding eighteen bends of stone steps uphill, visitors can reach the Wa Palace on the summit.