North Xiangtangshan Grottoes

North Xiangtangshan Grottoes

The North Xiangtangshan Grottoes are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Xiangtangshan Grottoes are located on Mount Gu in Fengfeng Mining District, Handan City, and are divided into northern and southern sections about 15 kilometers apart. The grotto complex is situated halfway up the mountain, where even people’s laughter, sleeve movements, or footsteps can produce resonant echoes, hence the name “Xiangtang” (Echoing Hall) Grottoes. There are 16 extant grottoes, over 450 cliffside niches with carvings, more than 5,000 statues of various sizes, and a large number of inscribed scriptures and inscriptions. It is the largest grotto complex discovered in Hebei Province to date and was among the first group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level announced by the State Council.

Both the Northern and Southern Xiangtang Grottoes were initially built during the Northern Qi Dynasty. At that time, the Northern Qi had two political centers: the capital Ye (in today's Linzhang area) and the secondary capital Jinyang (today's Taiyuan, Shanxi). Mount Gu, which lies along the crucial east-west passage of the Taihang Mountains, was a necessary route between the two capitals. With its beautiful scenery and excellent stone quality, the mountain was chosen by Emperor Gao Yang of the Northern Qi—who revered Buddhism as the state religion—to carve grottoes, build temples, and construct imperial gardens. This served as his summer retreat, leisure destination, and place for Buddhist worship while traveling between the two capitals. Later dynasties including Sui, Tang, Song, and Ming all added further carvings here.

The sculptures of the Xiangtangshan Grottoes—grottoes, Buddha statues, floral motifs, etc.—are graceful and majestic. Their craftsmanship bridges past and future styles, marking an important transitional phase in the development of China’s grotto art from the Yungang Grottoes in Datong to the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang. They also serve as one of the key treasuries for studying China’s Buddhist, architectural, sculptural, painting, and calligraphic arts.

The North Xiangtangshan Grottoes are located on the western mid-slopes of North Mount Gu, east of Hezhen Town. At the foot of the mountain are the Changle Temple, a standing statue of the Tathagata Buddha, and a Song Dynasty brick pagoda. The North Xiangtangshan site includes nine grottoes, divided into northern, southern, and central groups, each featuring one large grotto. The Seventh Grotto is the largest and is commonly known as the “Great Buddha Cave.” This cave is grand and majestic in scale, with exquisitely carved details. The bodhisattvas are depicted with lifelike smiles, the flying apsaras are joyful and graceful, and the drapery patterns are dense yet decorative, creating a sheer, gauzy effect. It is a masterpiece of Northern Qi art. Inside the cave is a large Buddha statue, 3.5 meters tall, seated cross-legged on a lotus pedestal. The face is serene, the robes thin and form-fitting, with a few deeply carved lines extending across the body. The carving technique is smooth and powerful, with clear and fluid lines. The surrounding walls feature 16 large stupa-style niche reliefs, topped with flame jewels as finials, creating an imposing and finely crafted display that counts as a rare gem among decorative patterns.

There are also several rows of small Buddha reliefs on the cave walls that appear unfinished. The Northern Qi Dynasty lasted only a little over 20 years in Chinese history, so it seems the carvings in this cave were not completed in time. This grotto best represents the artistic style of the Northern Qi. It measures 13.3 meters in width and 12.5 meters in depth, roughly square in shape. The cave houses a large central pillar connected to the ceiling. The grotto preserves Indian architectural methods. The three sides of the central pillar are adorned with niches—a hallmark of Northern Qi grotto art. Prior to the Northern Qi, many carvings featured four-sided central pillars with niches. Additionally, earlier statues had slender bodies, unlike the fuller figures seen in the Northern Qi. There are also Ming Dynasty grottoes at North Xiangtang, but the carvings from that period feature stout, clumsy human forms and stiff, dry drapery lines, completely losing the flowing elegance of the Northern Qi style. The late Ming Dynasty was only about 300 years ago, whereas the Northern Qi was over 1,400 years ago. Although the Ming Dynasty had strong economic power, vast territory, and abundant labor, the artistic level of its carvings is far inferior to that of the Northern Qi. It can be said that the Xiangtang Grottoes, as a typical representation of the art of a specific historical era in China, hold an irreplaceable position in the history of Chinese art.

One of the grottoes at North Xiangtang still has the remnants of a wooden pavilion structure on its outer rock wall, featuring red pillars and gray tiles, backed against the mountain. However, some carvings are now incomplete due to age and damage across dynasties. Looking at these caves, one can almost see the flicker of the craftsmen’s chisels and axes from those bygone days.

The Thousand Buddha Cave is the most exquisite cave in South Xiangtang. All its walls are covered with Buddha statues of varying sizes. In this space of less than 10 square meters, 1,028 stone Buddhas are carved in rows and columns, exuding a dense religious atmosphere. It leaves no room for distraction and suppresses worldly desires, allowing visitors to simply admire the graceful flying apsaras and the majestic, fierce Vajra guardians. One’s originally restless heart gradually becomes purified by the presence of the Buddhas, returning to a version of oneself from long ago.

The Scripture Cave is covered inside and out with carved Buddhist scriptures. Along the walls are four versions of the Vimalakirti Sutra handwritten by Tang Yong between 568 and 572 AD (the fourth year of Tian Tong and third year of Wu Ping during the Northern Qi Dynasty), inscribed in clerical script with sharp, vigorous strokes.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· First Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units