Jiaoshan Temple Grottoes

Jiaoshan Temple Grottoes

Jiaoshan Temple Grottoes is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Shanxi Province.

Jiaoshan Temple Grottoes (Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: Northern Wei Dynasty

Address: Gao Mountain Village, Gaoshan Town, Nanshan District, Datong City

The Jiaoshan Temple Grottoes were carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty. During the Liao and Jin periods, wooden eaves were added in front of the caves. In 2003, when tourism development began at Jiaoshan Grottoes Temple, the site underwent its largest-scale restoration in history. The overall architecture is built along the mountain.

The temple site faces south and is terraced along the mountain slope into five levels. The caves and niches are distributed across a cliff face approximately 60 meters long and 15 meters high, covering an area of about 900 square meters. The Northern Wei Dynasty caves and niches are mainly concentrated on the third and fourth levels, with cave types including colossal Buddha caves, monk dwellings, and meditation caves, totaling 11 caves. The statues inside mainly depict seated Buddhas and the theme of two Buddhas sitting together, but all have been weathered. At the highest point of the fifth-level temple complex stands a pagoda, a hexagonal three-story brick tower with a total height of 10 meters. Each level features arched doorways on the front façade, and the eaves are carved with three-step wooden bracket arms. At the lower part of the pagoda, one can find Buddha niches.

Among the Jiaoshan Temple Grottoes, Cave No. 6 on the eastern side of the mountain is the largest, with a horseshoe-shaped layout. The main statue occupies the central position within the cave, similar to the early caves of the Yungang Grottoes. Other caves still preserve the depiction of “two Buddhas sitting together,” which is the most popular iconographic form in the Yungang Grottoes. These Buddha statues are exquisitely carved, representing fine artistic works among Buddhist statuary.

Source: Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau

Gao Mountain Village: Gao Mountain Village... Detailed information about Gao Mountain Village++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites in Shanxi Province