Mutu Grottoes

Mutu Grottoes

The Mutu Grottoes are a cultural heritage site protected by Yuanping City.

The Mutu Grottoes, located about 1,500 meters north of Mutu Village in Sulongkou Town, Yuanping City, are carved into a massive sandy-rock cliff at the foot of Mount Jin. It is a single cave facing west, with a width of 1.5 meters, a depth of 1.44 meters, and a height of 1.2 meters, nearly square in plan. Inside the cave, there is one solemnly carved niche, measuring 0.7 meters in height and 0.53 meters in width, which houses one Buddha seated in the lotus position, 0.55 meters tall, wearing a right-shoulder-exposed kasaya. On either side stand two disciples and two bodhisattvas, each 0.53 meters tall. On the left side of the niche is the inscription “Hualin Temple,” while the upper right bears an inscription of four lines totaling 44 characters: “On the 18th day of the seventh month in the fifth year of Zhengguang (524), Bhikshu Hua Yunxing at Hualin Temple created two □ statues, one □ stupa □, and one volume of scriptures for worship.” In 1981, the Yuanping County People’s Government designated it as a county (city)-level cultural heritage protection unit.

Source: Xinzhou Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics

Mutu Village: Mutu Village is located at the junction of Wutai, Dai, and Yuanping counties, in a remote mountainous area. Surrounded by mountains covered with forests, the terrain offers favorable conditions for raising sheep and cattle. There are also quartz mines and minor iron ore resources on the mountains.

The village has 32 households and 87 residents, with over 480 acres of arable land. It also has walnut trees and a small number of fruit trees. The forested area is lush and shaded by green trees. Since the reform and opening-up, Mutu Village has undergone tremendous changes. Convenient rural roads have been built leading to the village, and under the leadership of the Party branch, the villagers, through hard work... More detailed information about Mutu Village++