North Xiangtang Temple

North Xiangtang Temple

North Xiangtang Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

North Xiangtang Temple

North Xiangtang Temple North Xiangtang Temple is located on the western side of Gushan Mountain in Hezhen Town, built into the stone cliffs halfway up the mountain. It was first established during the Northern Wei Dynasty and constructed mainly under the Northern Qi Dynasty (550–577 AD). After the Northern Qi, it was further expanded during the Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. There are currently nine caves preserved (excluding other smaller niches), housing a total of 725 Buddha statues of various sizes. The caves are divided into southern, central, and northern groups, each featuring a major cave representative of the Northern Qi style. Chinese historian Fan Wenlan wrote in "A General History of China" that “the Great Buddha Cave of North Xiangtang can be ranked alongside the Binyang Cave of the Longmen Grottoes, Cave 5 of the Gongxian Grottoes, and the major caves of the Yungang Grottoes.”