Zhongshan Grottoes

Zhongshan Grottoes is a national key cultural relic protection unit. It is located at the southern foot of Zhongshan, 15 kilometers west of Zichang County, Shaanxi Province. It is also known as wanfoyan, Puji temple, Dapuji temple and Shigong temple. It was first built in the Taihe period of Jin Dynasty (366-370 A.D.), and has been excavated for more than 1000 years in Tang, song, Jin, yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. According to historical records, there are 18 caves, of which only five have been excavated. All of them are national first-class cultural relics. The whole grottoes are built on the mountain and sit in the north and south. It is the only way for the north route of China's Silk Road to pass, with qingfengmingyue theater in the East, Xiuyan River in the South and anding city in the West. By the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, there were 11 large and small grottoes, many pagodas and temples, covering an area of 360 square meters and 500 monks. He presided over the monks, and governed Jiazhou (now Jiaxian county) in the north and Lishan (now Lintong) in the south. It has become a holy land for people's religious and cultural life. According to the Qing Dynasty Daoguang's "Stone Temple stele records rebuilt in Anding county annals", the original central hall, Shiwang hall, Mingwang hall and Jingang hall, as well as Wanfo tower, Zhonggu tower, Sanguan tower, Guanyin Pavilion and Zen abbot. Carved beams and painted buildings are very spectacular, but they were destroyed by the war. Except for the main hall grottoes, they are in ruins. It is a typical vertical axis Buddhist temple. Five Grottoes have been excavated, of which the middle cave is the most complete. There are more than ten thousand large and small Buddha statues in the grottoes. Therefore, it is called Wanfo rock. It was built in 1067, the fourth year of Pingzhi of Song Dynasty. The cave is magnificent and colorful. There are thousands of sculptures in various forms and vivid. The relief Buddha statues are well arranged with fine workmanship. Chinese and foreign scholars believe that its historical value and artistic value are not under Yungang Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes and Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. The experts concluded that "the earliest Grottoes in China", "the rare Grottoes in the world" and "the second Dunhuang" are of great historical, scientific and artistic value. In the center of the cave, there are 11 meters long, 5.3 meters wide and 1.4 meters high altar foundations. There are three groups of 14 large-scale main stone carvings on the altar foundations. The main Buddha statue is Sakyamuni III Buddha, which is respectively the past death, present age and future age. The statue of Sakyamuni, 3.54 meters high, is carved on the spot and closely connected with the base of the altar. In front of the altar are Manjusri Bodhisattva riding a lion and Puxian Bodhisattva riding a white elephant. Sakyamuni's image is very solemn when he sits on the waist shaped lotus Xumi seat. The statue of Sakyamuni stands on the left and right of the first disciple JIAYE and the second disciple Ananda. Both of them stand on Lotus seats, 2.5 meters high, vivid and vivid. There is a Bodhisattva at the East and West ends of the base of the altar. There are eight square stone pillars connected to the top in two rows at the front and back of the base of the altar. They are 1 meter square and 5 meters high. They are the supporting roof rocks left when the cave was built. There are several layers of reliefs all around the pillars and on the four walls of the grottoes. These reliefs are mainly Buddhist stories. During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, the statues of Laozi and Guandi of Taoism were carved on the outer wall of the main cave. Confucianism prevailed in the Qing Dynasty, and the statue of Confucius was carved on it. Historically, it was called the sage of the three religions. It was the product of the integration of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism in the history of our country, which made this precious art treasure house more rich and complete. There are three statues of the main body in the base of the altar, each of which is chiseled with a double bucket shaped caisson and painted with Tang grass. All the statues in the grottoes are painted in color, especially the main group. They are all painted in clay and gold. They are resplendent and remain unchanged for thousands of years. Within the protection area of Zhongshan grottoes, there are many ancient buildings, such as the gate of the Song Dynasty, the memorial archway, the Xiaosi palace of the Ming Dynasty, the Buddhist temple, the qingfengmingyue theater, the seven level dense eaves brick tower, and the nine level Songyan master's float tower. They are well preserved, with unique shapes and high artistic value. Guo Jiucheng, director of Zhongshan Grottoes Museum, revealed that the Sino Japanese joint excavation project of Zhongshan Grottoes has been reported to the State Administration of cultural relics and is waiting for approval. It is believed that with the deepening of excavation and archaeology, development and protection, the Zhongshan Grottoes will surely reappear its former glory.

Zhongshan Grottoes

Zhongshan grottoes, located in Zichang County, Shaanxi Province, was built in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, also known as wanfoyan, Puji temple, Dapuji temple and Shigong temple.

Around the grottoes, there are many ancient pagodas, temples and ancient buildings, covering an area of 360 square meters and more than 500 monks. It is one of the important birthplaces of Buddhism in Northwest China. The grottoes are grand in scale, magnificent in momentum, and have been burning incense for generations, so they are known as "human resorts". In 1988, it was announced by the State Council as a "national key cultural relics protection unit". The absolute protection area is 19250 square meters, the general protection area is 44000 square meters, and the construction control area is 80 hectares.

background

Zhongshan Grottoes is a national key cultural relic protection unit. It is located at the southern foot of Zhongshan, 15 kilometers west of Zichang County, Shaanxi Province. It is also known as wanfoyan, Puji temple, Dapuji temple and Shigong temple. It was first built in the Taihe period of Jin Dynasty (366-370 A.D.), and has been excavated for more than 1000 years in Tang, song, Jin, yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. According to historical records, there are 18 caves, of which only five have been excavated. All of them are national first-class cultural relics. The whole grottoes are built on the mountain and sit in the north and south. It is the only way for the north route of China's Silk Road to pass, with qingfengmingyue theater in the East, Xiuyan River in the South and anding city in the West. By the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, there were 11 large and small grottoes, many pagodas and temples, covering an area of 360 square meters and 500 monks. He presided over the monks, and governed Jiazhou (now Jiaxian county) in the north and Lishan (now Lintong) in the south. It has become a holy land for people's religious and cultural life. According to the Qing Dynasty Daoguang's "Stone Temple stele records rebuilt in Anding county annals", the original central hall, Shiwang hall, Mingwang hall and Jingang hall, as well as Wanfo tower, Zhonggu tower, Sanguan tower, Guanyin Pavilion and Zen abbot. Carved beams and painted buildings are very spectacular, but they were destroyed by the war. Except for the main hall grottoes, they are in ruins. It is a typical vertical axis Buddhist temple. Five Grottoes have been excavated, of which the middle cave is the most complete. There are more than ten thousand large and small Buddha statues in the grottoes. Therefore, it is called Wanfo rock. It was built in 1067, the fourth year of Pingzhi of Song Dynasty. The cave is magnificent and colorful. There are thousands of sculptures in various forms and vivid. The relief Buddha statues are well arranged with fine workmanship. Chinese and foreign scholars believe that its historical value and artistic value are not under Yungang Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes and Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. The experts concluded that "the earliest Grottoes in China", "the rare Grottoes in the world" and "the second Dunhuang" are of great historical, scientific and artistic value. In the center of the cave, there are 11 meters long, 5.3 meters wide and 1.4 meters high altar foundations. There are three groups of 14 large-scale main stone carvings on the altar foundations. The main Buddha statue is Sakyamuni III Buddha, which is respectively the past death, present age and future age. The statue of Sakyamuni, 3.54 meters high, is carved on the spot and closely connected with the base of the altar. In front of the altar are Manjusri Bodhisattva riding a lion and Puxian Bodhisattva riding a white elephant. Sakyamuni's image is very solemn when he sits on the waist shaped lotus Xumi seat. The statue of Sakyamuni stands on the left and right of the first disciple JIAYE and the second disciple Ananda. Both of them stand on Lotus seats, 2.5 meters high, vivid and vivid. There is a Bodhisattva at the East and West ends of the base of the altar. There are eight square stone pillars connected to the top in two rows, one meter square.

It is 5 meters high and is the supporting roof rock left during the cave building. There are several layers of reliefs all around the pillars and on the four walls of the grottoes. These reliefs are mainly Buddhist stories. During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, the statues of Laozi and Guandi of Taoism were carved on the outer wall of the main cave. Confucianism prevailed in the Qing Dynasty, and the statue of Confucius was carved on it. Historically, it was called the sage of the three religions. It was the product of the integration of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism in the history of our country, which made this precious art treasure house more rich and complete. There are three statues of the main body in the base of the altar, each of which is chiseled with a double bucket shaped caisson and painted with Tang grass. All the statues in the grottoes are painted in color, especially the main group. They are all painted in clay and gold. They are resplendent and remain unchanged for thousands of years. Within the protection area of Zhongshan grottoes, there are many ancient buildings, such as the gate of the Song Dynasty, the memorial archway, the Xiaosi palace of the Ming Dynasty, the Buddhist temple, the qingfengmingyue theater, the seven level dense eaves brick tower, and the nine level Songyan master's float tower. They are well preserved, with unique shapes and high artistic value. Guo Jiucheng, director of Zhongshan Grottoes Museum, revealed that the Sino Japanese joint excavation project of Zhongshan Grottoes has been reported to the State Administration of cultural relics and is waiting for approval. It is believed that with the deepening of excavation and archaeology, development and protection, the Zhongshan Grottoes will surely reappear its former glory.

Fifteen kilometers to the west of Wayaobao (Zichang County, Yan'an) and on the Bank of Xiuyan River, there is a mountain towering like a giant bell, so it is called "Zhongshan". There are caves at the southern foot of "Zhongshan". According to the unearthed inscriptions, "when was the Zhongshan Grottoes built? There is no evidence to prove that it is the Lishi of Jizhi, which is called the year of Taihe of Jin Dynasty (336-370 A.D.). After more than a thousand years of construction in Tang, song, Jin, yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, it has become a grand view. According to historical records, there are 18 caves, only five of which have been excavated. It is praised by relevant experts as "the earliest Grottoes in China"! "The world's rare grottoes, artistic value is not under the Mogao Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes, Yungang Grottoes"; "the second Dunhuang"!

Among the five well preserved caves in Zhongshan Grottoes (the rest are buried in sand due to their low geographical location), the most complete one is cave No. 3, in which there are more than ten thousand statues of Buddhas of different sizes, known as "ten thousand Buddha rock". Grotto art has been popular for hundreds of years since the Western Jin Dynasty, and declined in the Song Dynasty. Zhongshan was more prosperous in the Song Dynasty. It not only inherited the rich and mellow realistic style of Tang Dynasty sculpture, but also paid more attention to the depiction of the inner world of the characters. It was a great leap in Chinese sculpture art and became the representative of stone carving art in the Northern Song Dynasty

Chinese PinYin : Zhong Shan Shi Ku