Stone Carvings in Mixia Cave

Stone Carvings in Mixia Cave

The stone carvings in Mixia Cave are a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

The stone carvings in Mixia Cave are located in Xiangshan District, Huaibei City, dating from the Jin to the Ming dynasties.

Also known as the Scripture Cave, it lies at the western foot of Tiger Mountain. The two vigorous and graceful characters “藏经” (“Scripture Depository”) are carved on the cave ceiling, and a large platform lies across the cave entrance. Legend has it that in ancient times, a traveling monk carrying Buddhist scriptures passed through this area. Coinciding with severe flooding at the foot of the mountain, he hid the scriptures in the cave to protect them from the disaster. In fact, the cave was excavated during the early Qing Dynasty by Ren Wenshi, a scholar from Xiangcheng, for the purpose of storing books. The “Suizhou Annals” of the Kangxi era recorded: Mixia Cave, located at the eastern foot of Xiang Mountain, seems to swallow and exhale clouds and trees, changing forms in an instant. It was dug by Ren Wenshi for book storage, and inscriptions can be found on the cave walls.

In 2012, the stone carvings in Mixia Cave were announced by the People's Government of Anhui Province as part of the seventh batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units.

Protected area: a zone within 50 meters extending horizontally outward from the central point of the Mixia Cave entrance.

Construction control zone: an area extending 50 meters beyond the protected area on all sides.