Dripping Water Cliff Grottoes

Dripping Water Cliff Grottoes

The Dripping Water Cliff Grottoes are a cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province.

The Dripping Water Cliff Grottoes are located north of Houcheng Village in Chicheng County. The Chaoyangguan Grottoes are built beneath the majestic Dripping Water Cliff, where 15 grottoes hang from the precipitous cliffs that look as if they were carved with a knife or axe. Each grotto is about 5–6 meters wide and deep, and 2.5 meters high. Their distinctive feature is the practice of carving the grottoes to accommodate the statues, creating an interconnection between the statues and the caves. Structures include the Mahavira Hall, Mount Tai Hall, Three Palaces Hall, Three Religions Hall, Water Mother Hall, Three Sovereigns Hall, Wenchang Pavilion, and Thousand Buddha Hall.

In the 30th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1551 AD), Xuanfu official Wu Qin visited the site and was captivated by this treasured land. Persuaded by the Taoist priest Li Yanqi, he decided to construct a Taoist temple. After five years of large-scale excavation, the project was finally completed in the 36th year of the Jiajing reign (1557 AD). The stone carvings of Chaoyangguan were damaged during the Cultural Revolution. In 1995, the government of Houcheng Town raised 15,000 yuan to restore some of the halls and stone statues.

Existing features include the grottoes, stone statues, and cliff inscriptions such as "Famous Mountain Beyond the Pass," "Cliff Rising Thousands of Ren," "Wonder of the Frontier," and "Pillar of Heaven." There are also over a dozen ancient pine trees. A stele commemorating the establishment of Chaoyangguan is also preserved. The total area covered by these cultural relics is 1,500 square meters.

In July 1993, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit by the People's Government of Hebei Province.

Further reading:

· Third Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units