Mimo Cliff

Mimo Cliff

Mimo Cliff

Also known as Mimo Temple, it was named after the Tang Dynasty monk Mimo who preached here. It is located 37 kilometers south of Fanshi County in the eastern part of Yantou Village, Yantou Township, about 2.5 kilometers from the Xidou Highway. Established during the Northern Qi Dynasty, Mimo Cliff gained widespread fame during the Tang and Song Dynasties, becoming renowned across the country and highly esteemed in the Buddhist community. In particular, the “Dragon Cave” at Mimo Cliff is a must-visit site for Buddhists traveling to Mount Wutai, giving rise to the saying: “Visiting Mount Wutai without seeing the Dragon Cave is like only visiting half the mountain.” The Dragon Cave is one of the Eight Great Scenic Spots of Mount Wutai. Though called a cave, there is actually no cave—rather, it is a long, narrow crevice between two steep cliffs, several zhang in length and just inches wide, with sheer rock walls on both sides. Legend has it that this is where Manjushri trapped a dragon between two mountains. Nestled among surrounding mountains, Mimo Cliff boasts beautiful scenery and a wealth of cultural relics that captivate visitors. There are sights such as “hundreds of zhang-high cliffs glowing like sunrise,” “cliff edges with no path but flying ladders,” and “millennium-old pines forming a wondrous view.” Currently, there is one brick pagoda from the Tang Dynasty, one brick pagoda and one tomb stele from the Five Dynasties period, ten stone stupas from the Song and Jin Dynasties, one brick pagoda from the Ming Dynasty, and over twenty stone-carved Buddha statues. The temple grounds include a five-bay Mahavira Hall, a five-bay Manjushri Hall, as well as more than twenty side halls and monks’ quarters, all built during the Qing Dynasty. The main hall, bell and drum towers, and other structures of Mimo Cliff Temple all embody the architectural style of Mount Wutai temples. The Buddha carvings carved into the cliff face bear striking similarities in craftsmanship to those in the Yungang Grottoes.

Yantou Village: Yantou Village…… More details about Yantou Village++