Xuanwu Mountain Grottoes

Xuanwu Mountain Grottoes

The Xuanwu Mountain Grottoes are located atop Xuanwu Mountain, 7.5 kilometers northwest of the county town. They once housed ancient structures such as the Thousand Buddha Hall, the Tongsheng Valley Stone Chamber, and the Reclining Buddha Hall. The Thousand Buddha Hall served as the main building of the grottoes. According to the "Records of Thirteen States": “There is a temple of Emperor Yao on the mountain, commonly known as Xuanwu Mountain, believed to be where Emperor Shun once carried out his duties.” This site once featured rich historical relics from the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties, including stone carvings, statues, and steles.

Steles: The grottoes once had one stele from the Sui Dynasty, three from the Tang Dynasty, all carved directly into the mountain and commonly referred to as "shadowless steles"; two from the Song Dynasty, with inscriptions such as “Longsheng Temple of Xiangshan in Daxingtai Prefecture.” In addition, there are Qing Dynasty steles from the Qianlong era, which record that “Xuanwu Mountain was once climbed by Emperor Yao to observe the floods.”

There are numerous cliff carvings (i.e., sculptures carved directly into the rock face), which feature exquisite craftsmanship and unique styles. Inside and outside the walls of the Thousand Buddha Hall stone chamber, there are 739 niches, most depicting one Buddha flanked by two bodhisattvas. The largest niche is 0.8 meters high and 0.97 meters wide, and there are also three scripture-carving sections.

In addition, there are historic sites such as the “Cundi Pagoda” and the “Lotus Sutra” scripture engravings, all featuring neat, elegant, and vigorous calligraphy, seemingly crafted by the same hand. These finely made, vivid, and distinctive artistic carvings fully showcase the wisdom and talent of ancient folk artisans, and hold significant research value for studying ancient Chinese history and culture. Unfortunately, these rich cultural relics of Xuanwu Mountain were completely lost after the turmoil of the “Cultural Revolution.”

Address: Xuanwu Mountain, Longyao County