Ten Thousand Buddha Caves

Ten Thousand Buddha Caves

The Ten Thousand Buddha Caves are a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

The Ten Thousand Buddha Caves are located on the cliffs on the north bank of the Daling River, south of Wanfotang Village, 9 kilometers northwest of Yixian County, Liaoning Province.

The caves were carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty and are the earliest and largest cave complex in Northeast China. They are divided into eastern and western sections, with nine caves in the western section and seven in the eastern section. The nine caves in the western section are split across two levels: three on the upper level and six on the lower level. Among them, Cave 5 contains an inscription commissioned by Yuan Jing, the Pingdong General and Governor of Yingzhou, in the 23rd year of the Taihe era (499 AD) during the Northern Wei Dynasty. The inscription is about 1 meter wide, with small thousand Buddha carvings above it, and a roof-shaped niche canopy above the Buddhas. The calligraphy of the inscription is exquisitely executed, and was praised by Kang Youwei, a renowned late Qing scholar and reformist, as “the finest among all Northern Wei steles.” Among the caves in the western section, Cave 1 is the largest and also the earliest, but the statues inside have been weathered and altered in later periods, making their original appearance unrecognizable. Cave 6 is also relatively large, though its front section has collapsed. The rear wall still preserves a seated cross-legged Maitreya statue, which features a gentle smile, wavy hair, and attendant disciples on either side. The walls and ceilings of the western caves also retain some remaining relief carvings of small Buddha figures, Buddhist stories, as well as designs such as lotus flowers and flying apsaras. These carvings are elegant in form and beautifully lined.

The caves in the eastern section are comparatively poorly preserved, with severe damage, and only the seated Sakyamuni Buddha in the large niche on the rear wall of Cave 6 still shows its original appearance. The walls of Cave 5 bear an inscription from the 3rd year of the Jingming era (502 AD) during the Northern Wei Dynasty, commissioned by Han Zhen, the “Comfort Envoy to the Khitan,” along with others. This is an important historical record regarding the early status of the Khitan people, as well as a significant physical document for understanding the construction history of the Ten Thousand Buddha Caves. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)

Address: Wanfotang Village, Toutai Township, Yixian County, Jinzhou City (on Fushan Mountain, north bank of the Daling River)

Type: Cave heritage site

Recommended visiting time: Approximately 2 hours

Phone: 0416-7575337

Opening hours:

8:00–17:00

Further reading:

· Third Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level