Feilai Peak Grottoes

Feilai Peak Grottoes

The Feilai Peak Grottoes are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Feilai Peak Grottoes are located in front of Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.

Feilai Peak is a limestone mountain approximately 209 meters tall, with rugged and otherworldly rock formations scattered throughout. Distributed among these rocks are over 300 Buddhist statues created from the Five Dynasties to the Yuan Dynasty, forming the largest group of grotto statues in Zhejiang. Within the Feilai Peak statue complex, more than 10 statues from the Five Dynasties period still remain today—these are all depictions of the "Three Saints of the West" from the Pure Land Buddhism sect, located on the mountaintop and at the entrance of the Qinglin Cave. On the western side of the Qinglin Cave’s entrance is a group of carvings dating to the first year of the Guangshun era of the Later Zhou Dynasty (951 AD), commissioned by Teng Shaozong. These include statues of Amitabha, Guanyin, and Mahasthamaprapta, and represent the earliest dated carvings on Feilai Peak. The three figures are seated on high, waisted lotus pedestals with flaming aureoles behind them, reflecting the sculptural style of the late Tang Dynasty.

The Northern Song Dynasty carvings are the most numerous, with over 200 pieces. Small arhat figures are found inside the Jinguang Cave. Larger statues of the Six Patriarchs are located in the Yuru Cave, dating to the fourth year of the TianSheng era (1026 AD), and exhibit a relatively simple and archaic style. On the cliff face at the southern mouth of the Qinglin Cave is a relief carving titled the “Vairocana Buddha Assembly,” created in the first year of the Qiansheng era (1022 AD). This piece demonstrates skilled technique, a cohesive structure, and vivid imagery. On the southern side of the Cold Spring Stream is a Southern Song Dynasty statue of the Maitreya Buddha, characterized by thick eyebrows, large eyes, a joyful expression, and a bare belly as he sits cross-legged. Flanking the Maitreya are eighteen arhats, arranged along the natural contours of the mountain—some static, some dynamic—each with a unique posture and expression.

There are nearly 100 Yuan Dynasty statues, among which 19 have clearly legible inscriptions. These carvings are exquisitely crafted and relatively well-preserved. Most are located on the southern bank of the Cold Spring Stream and on the cliffs surrounding caves such as Qinglin and Yuru. The Buddha statues feature tall, pointed spiral hair buns, draped shawls, and exposed right chests and arms. Bodhisattvas are adorned with jeweled crowns or sheer veils, sometimes bare-chested, with delicate facial features and slender, graceful bodies. Building upon the artistic traditions of the Tang and Song dynasties, these works also incorporate distinctive stylistic elements of Tibetan and Mongolian art.

The cave art of China’s Central Plains region began to decline after the late Tang Dynasty. However, the Five Dynasties, Song, and Yuan stone carvings at Feilai Peak fill this historical gap—particularly those from the Yuan Dynasty, which feature refined carving techniques and smooth lines. They hold an important place in the history of ancient Chinese sculptural art. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units