True Silence Temple Grottoes

True Silence Temple Grottoes

The True Silence Temple Grottoes are a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

The True Silence Temple Grottoes are located in Chaganhada Township, Lindong Town, Balinzuo Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Originally known as the "Houzhao Temple Grottoes," their excavation began during the Liao Dynasty. In 1974, during the renovation of the roof of the temple in front of the grottoes, the four characters “True Silence Temple” were discovered carved in intaglio on the lintel of the central cave’s entrance, revealing that it was called the True Silence Temple during the Liao period.

The grottoes are carved into the cliffs of a peak commonly known as "Peach Stone Mountain," featuring three caves: southern, central, and northern. They all face east. In front of the caves is the Shanhui Temple, a Buddhist temple from the Qing Dynasty. The main hall of Shanhui Temple is 23 meters long and 6 meters wide, and it was built directly adjacent to the grottoes.

The central cave is the largest in scale. On the inner side of its entrance are carved statues of Vajra Guardians. Inside the cave is a main statue of the Reclining Buddha Shakyamuni, flanked by 17 statues of mourning bodhisattvas and disciples.

The southern cave has a Vajra Guardian statue carved on each side of its entrance. Inside, there is a seated Buddha, with the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra riding an elephant and the Bodhisattva Manjushri riding a lion positioned to the left and right in front of the Buddha.

The northern cave is divided into an inner and outer chamber. The cave features relief carvings of seated Buddhas, disciples, bodhisattvas, worshippers, and heavenly kings. On the southern side of Peach Stone Mountain, the valley cliffs are adorned with reliefs of Vajra Guardians. The southern and western valleys also contain the ruins of the Hongfu Temple from the Liao Dynasty and early Khitan sites for mountain and heaven worship.

The True Silence Temple Grottoes are a well-preserved and largely intact medium-sized Buddhist grotto temple from the Liao Dynasty. They serve as important material for studying the Buddhist sculpture art of the Khitan people. In May 2006, the True Silence Temple Grottoes, as a Liao Dynasty grotto site, were designated by the State Council as part of the sixth batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level