Wudu Chaoyang Cave Scenic Area

　　Chaoyang Cave is located in Chenjiaba, Dajiaogong Township, Wudu District, Longnan. The area where it is situated, Immortal Cliff, is a mountain peak covered in dense forests, scattered with peculiar rocks, shrouded in clouds and mist, and resembling a fairyland. The cave faces west and east, and when the morning sun rises, sunlight shines into the cave—hence its name. It is also called “Chaoyang Immortal Cave” due to the legend that during the Ming Dynasty, an old monk “entered nirvana while lying down” inside the cave and ascended to immortality.

　　Originally named Xianfo Cave (Immortal Buddha Cave), Chaoyang Cave is a rock cave carved during the Tang Dynasty, embedded within a cliff of Quaternary gravel layers. The “Continued Gazetteer of Jiezhou Direct-Controlled Prefecture” records: “Chaoyang Mountain, eighty li west of the prefecture. In the early Ming Dynasty, an old monk entered nirvana in a stone cave.” The reporting team climbed up step by step to reach the cave’s mountain gate. From here, one can look up at the panoramic view of the cliff and overlook the Bailong River. Immortal Cliff is enshrouded in mysterious and surreal illusion, towering thousands of feet high, steep as if cleaved by a knife. Pavilions, towers, ancient caves, and bright temples on the cliffs appear faintly, now hidden, now visible. Located halfway up Immortal Cliff, Chaoyang Cave has a cave entrance three meters high and two meters wide, fronted by a cliff-front structure with bracket sets and upturned eaves. Upon entering the cave, after walking up a winding path for over ten steps, you’ll find two grottoes. The clay sculptures and colored paintings inside are delicate and vivid, captivating to observe. As you continue upwards along the winding path, which alternates between wide and narrow passages—with the wider parts reaching about ten meters in height—the grottoes are dotted with statues. It is said there were originally 26 cavities with 89 statues, featuring unique shapes and many murals, most of which no longer exist. One of the cavities was where the sleeping Buddha, Duan Zhu Shan Shi, entered nirvana.

　　Originally named Xianfo Cave (Immortal Buddha Cave), Chaoyang Cave is a rock cave carved during the Tang Dynasty, embedded within a cliff of Quaternary gravel layers. The “Continued Gazetteer of Jiezhou Direct-Controlled Prefecture” records: “Chaoyang Mountain, eighty li west of the prefecture. In the early Ming Dynasty, an old monk entered nirvana in a stone cave.” The reporting team climbed up step by step to reach the cave’s mountain gate. From here, one can look up at the panoramic view of the cliff and overlook the Bailong River. Immortal Cliff is enshrouded in mysterious and surreal illusion, towering thousands of feet high, steep as if cleaved by a knife. Pavilions, towers, ancient caves, and bright temples on the cliffs appear faintly, now hidden, now visible. Located halfway up Immortal Cliff, Chaoyang Cave has a cave entrance three meters high and two meters wide, fronted by a cliff-front structure with bracket sets and upturned eaves. Upon entering the cave, after walking up a winding path for over ten steps, you’ll find two grottoes. The clay sculptures and colored paintings inside are delicate and vivid, captivating to observe. As you continue upwards along the winding path, which alternates between wide and narrow passages—with the wider parts reaching about ten meters in height—the grottoes are dotted with statues. It is said there were originally 26 cavities with 89 statues, featuring unique shapes and many murals, most of which no longer exist. One of the cavities was where the sleeping Buddha, Duan Zhu Shan Shi, entered nirvana.

　　Later accounts suggest that the cave is called “Chaoyang Cave” because it faces west and east. However, research shows that it was actually during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty that Ma Chaoyang, the regional inspector of Tao-Min Dao, funded the repairs with silver, renovating the cave shrine and bringing it to renewed glory. Since then, the cave shrine has expanded further. From then on, it was renamed Chaoyang Cave after Magistrate Ma, changing from its former name Xianfo Cave.

　　The Three Treasures of Chaoyang Cave: the Sitting Buddha, the Standing Buddha, and the Sleeping Buddha. Other preserved and restored statues and murals in the caves can still be regarded as exquisite works of folk art, making them rare gems among cave artworks. From the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty to the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty, three figures attained enlightenment in Xianfo Cave: the Sitting Buddha, the Standing Buddha, and the Sleeping Buddha, thus making Chaoyang Cave widely renowned. Monks flocked here to worship, and visitors came in great numbers.

　　Address: Chenjiaba, Dajiaogong Township, Wudu District, Longnan

　　Type: Cave