Qili Foot Thousand Buddha Caves in Xixian County

Qili Foot Thousand Buddha Caves in Xixian County

The Qili Foot Thousand Buddha Caves in Xixian County are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Thousand Buddha Caves

Thousand Buddha Caves (Second Batch of Provincial Protected Sites)

Era: Ming Dynasty

Location: 7 km north of Xixian County, on the east bank of Chengchuan River in Qili Foot Village

The caves are carved into the lower part of the cliff on a north-south oriented mountainside slope. There are two caves in total, arranged side by side from south to north, both with entrances facing west. The caves house approximately 70 sculptures. The first cave is located on the southern side of the cliff base, with a horseshoe-shaped plan, a domed ceiling, measuring 2.72 meters in width, 2.35 meters in depth, and 8 meters in height. It contains one Buddha and two Bodhisattva statues.

The second cave is located on the northern side of the cliff base. The cave has a rectangular plan with a flat ceiling, measuring 2.9 meters in width, 2.3 meters in depth, and 2.76 meters in height. A high platform base, 0.6 meters high and 0.63 meters deep, is situated at the front wall. The left and right walls feature high-relief carvings of 24 Buddha statues, arranged in four vertical rows of six each. Above the cave entrance on the front wall are five Buddha statues, similar in appearance, attire, and gestures to those on the side walls.

Neither of the two caves has definitive founding inscriptions. The first cave, based on its architectural style and the characteristics of the Buddha and Bodhisattva statues, shows distinct Northern Wei features. The statue style in the second cave exhibits characteristics of the Tang Dynasty.

In May 2013, the Qili Foot Thousand Buddha Caves in Xixian County were designated as part of the Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units