Grotto Carvings at Shenxian Cave

Grotto Carvings at Shenxian Cave

The Grotto Carvings at Shenxian Cave are a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

The Grotto Carvings at Shenxian Cave are located on the sunny side of Han tong Mountain, north of Dataitou Village, Zhashan Town, Laizhou City. About 2 kilometers southwest of the grotto carvings lies Dataitou Village of Zhashan Town, Laizhou City. A road in the village leads down the mountain. The protected area of the Shenxian Cave Grotto Carvings connects to the south with the cultivated land and apple orchards of Dataitou Village as well as the Lintuanhe Reservoir, and to the east of the reservoir lies the site of the Ming Dynasty villa "Longxi Garden" of Zhao Yao. Within the southern foothills of the protected area lies the newly built "Zisheng Chan Temple," where monks reside and practice. A mountain road in the southern foothills leads directly to downtown Laizhou City.

Han tong Mountain is commonly known as Shen Shan (Divine Mountain), named after the Grotto Carvings at Shenxian Cave. The mountain runs from east to west, connecting to Yunfeng Mountain in the west and leaning against Daji Mountain in the north, with an elevation of 337 meters. The original Guangshui River—commonly called the Sanli River—originated from the northern slope of the mountain but dried up around the late 1970s to the 1980s. The ancient Guangzhou was named after this river during the Northern Wei Dynasty. The mountain features strikingly rugged rocks and ancient forests of pine, cypress, maple, and locust trees.

The caves were carved into the massive cliffs on the sunny hillside of the mountain, accessible via a winding path built by Taoist priests. This place enjoys a tranquil environment and beautiful scenery. Especially in late autumn, when the maple leaves turn red and dye the forest layers in brilliant hues, the ancient Taoist grottoes and the vibrant foliage complement each other, making it one of the most renowned cultural landscapes in Laizhou. To its west lies the connected Yunfeng Mountain, and to its north is the leaning Daji Mountain, both famous for the Northern Dynasties' "Yunfeng Cliff Inscriptions." Daji Mountain and Han tong Mountain were also sites of activity for Quanzhen Taoist priests during the Jin and Yuan dynasties. The activities of the Quanzhen Taoist sect were passed down through generations here and continued into modern times. "Han tong Xian Cave" was once one of the famous "Eight Scenic Spots of Yazhou."

The names of the seven caves are recorded differently in local gazetteers such as the Wanli, Kangxi, and Qianlong editions of the "Laizhou Prefecture Annals" and "Yexian Annals." However, the records in the "Shenshan Wanshou Palace Stele," erected to commemorate the cave carving, should be reliable. Although the cave names vary in the gazetteers, the number of seven caves is consistent. The stele text states: "Among the mountains, there are seven caves: Xu Huang, San Qing, Wu Zu, Liu Zhen, Chang Sheng, Pi Yun, Ling Guan, and Nü Xian." All gazetteers consider this recording incorrect, as eight cave names are listed for seven caves. In fact, Xu Huang is the head of the "San Qing," so the Xu Huang Cave is also the San Qing Cave. The punctuation should be as above. Accordingly, the recorded cave names here do not include the "Changchun Cave." The four upper caves on the sunny side should be San Qing, Wu Zu, Liu Zhen, and Chang Sheng Caves, the two lower caves should be Pi Yun and Ling Guan Caves, and the one cave on the shady side should be the Nü Xian Cave. According to the "Ye Cheng," "The Pi Yun Zhen Ren (True Man) Song Defang opened [the cave], carving forty immortal stone statues. The four upper caves all have inscribed characters above their entrances: one reads 'Yuan Shen Zhong Miao Shen Dong,' one reads 'Shen Shan Dong Tian,' one reads 'Xu Huang Dong,' and one reads 'Chang Chun,' with a reclining statue inside the rock. The two lower caves have no inscriptions above their entrances." From this, we can infer that the cave entrances had no inscriptions initially, and the inscriptions were added by later generations. We believe the original intent behind carving the immortal caves was as follows: "San Qing" refers to Xu Huang Yuan Shi Tian Zun (Yu Qing), Ling Bao Tian Zun (Shang Qing), and Dao De Tian Zun (Tai Qing); "Wu Zu" refers to the Five Ancestral Masters—Shaoyang Di Jun, Zhengyang Zushi, Chunyang Zushi, Haichan Zushi, and Chongyang Zushi; "Liu Zhen" refers to the "Seven True Ones of Quanzhen" excluding Liu Changsheng; "Chang Sheng" refers to Liu Changsheng; "Pi Yun" refers to Pi Yun Zhen Ren; "Ling Guan" refers to various deities; and "Nü Xian" refers to the various female immortals revered in Taoism. Such an interpretation is likely more reasonable.

During the Cultural Revolution in 1966, many of the stone heads were destroyed and the statues were toppled.

In 1957 and 1981, the Yexian County People's Government designated the site as a key cultural relic protection unit.

In 1987, the Yantai Municipal People's Government designated the site as a key cultural relic protection unit.

In 1992, the Shandong Provincial People's Government designated the site as a key cultural relic protection unit.

Zhashan Town: China’s northern (Laizhou) stone import-export base, China’s No.1 Stone Town — Zhashan Town is located at the northern foot of Daze Mountain on the Jiaodong Peninsula. The town covers a total land area of 147 square kilometers, governs 62 administrative villages, and is 8 kilometers from the city center, and 100 kilometers each from Yantai, Qingdao, and Weifang. Provincial highways S309, Weiwu Expressway, and the De-Yan Railway form an extensive land transportation network. Thirty kilometers to the north lies the open port of Laizhou Port with a capacity of ten thousand tons.

The area is rich in granite, marble, and other mineral resources. Varieties include Sesame White, Sakura Red, Crystal White Jade, Pearl Flower, Black-and-White Flower, Golden Rust Stone, Laizhou Green… More detailed information about Zhashan Town++

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units