Ganzhou Tongtianyan Grottoes

　　    The Tongtianyan Grottoes are a well-known scenic area on the outskirts of Ganzhou City and also one of the relatively dense collections of cliffside grotto statues in southern China. The Tongtianyan Scenic Area mainly consists of Wanguiyan, Tongxinyan, Tongtianyan, and Cuiweiyan. With its deep caves, winding mountain paths, murmuring streams, and beautiful scenery, it is a place that captivates visitors.

　　    Wanguiyan, named for its jutting rock formation resembling a giant lion, is also called “Lion Rock.” Within the crevices of the mountain rock lies a natural cave. In the peak of summer, a refreshing breeze flows through, creating a cool and invigorating atmosphere that makes visitors linger. Hence, it is called “Wanguiyan” (the “Reluctant-to-Leave Rock”). Among the rock walls are stone niche statues and cliff inscriptions.

　　    Tongxinyan is located to the east of Wanguiyan. On the rock walls are the three characters “Tong Xin Yan” (Concord Rock), inscribed by Liu Zhao of the Ming Dynasty, as well as carvings of dragons and tigers. The terrain here is flat and open, with cliff inscriptions and stone niche statues carved sequentially along the rock walls beside the walking path, resembling an open-air museum where visitors can admire them while strolling.

　　    Moving forward from Tongxinyan is Tongtianyan. Here, the mountains embrace each other, and steep cliffs rise sharply, with a cave in the middle. A shaft within the cave goes straight through to the mountaintop, hence the name “Tongtianyan” (Heaven-Reaching Rock). The renowned Song Dynasty scholar Yang Xiaoben (1039–1122) once lived in seclusion here. In the ninth year of Yuanyou (1094), Su Dongpo passed through Ganzhou and visited Yang Xiaoben out of admiration. The two quickly became close friends. After Yang Xiaoben’s death, he was buried at Tongtianyan, where later generations erected the “Yuyan Shrine,” which houses statues of Su Dongpo and Yang Xiaoben. Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, Tongtianyan has been a famous Buddhist mountain in southern Jiangxi, with over 300 Buddha statues carved in tiers along the rock walls.

　　    The Tongtianyan Grottoes and the nearby Cuiweiyan, Tongxinyan, and Wanguiyan feature many ancient cliff inscriptions on their rock walls. Originally numbering 116 pieces, 97 remain today, including 33 from the Song Dynasty, 36 from the Ming Dynasty, and the earliest dating back to the sixth year of the Xining era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1073). These inscriptions preserve a wealth of local historical information and a variety of scripts, all finely carved, making them precious works of ancient calligraphy art.

　　    The Tongtianyan Scenic Area has a total of 348 stone niche statues. Except for a few standing Buddha statues in Cuiweiyan, which date back to the Tang Dynasty, most were created during the Song Dynasty and hold a notable position in the history of Chinese sculpture art. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)