The holy land of three dangers

Sanwei mountain scenic spot

synonym

Sanwei holy land generally refers to Sanwei mountain scenic area

Sanwei mountain scenic spot is located 25 kilometers southeast of Dunhuang City, stretching for 60 kilometers. The main peak is opposite the Mogao Grottoes. The three peaks are dangerous, so it is named Sanwei.

Sanwei mountain scenic spot is known as the first holy place of Dunhuang. Mogao grottoes were built for the light of Buddhism in Sanwei mountain. Climbing the famous Buddhist art mountain, we can see the origin of Mogao Grottoes.

In 2009, Sanwei mountain scenic spot was approved as a national 3A scenic spot.

Development history

The first holy place of Dunhuang is the "dangerous peak in the East". The Mogao Grottoes were built for the Buddha light of Sanwei mountain. Climbing the famous Buddhist art mountain, we can have a glimpse of the origin of the Mogao Grottoes.

"Sanwei" is the earliest place name of Dunhuang in historical records. According to the book of history, Shun Dian: "running through the three Miao in the three perils".

It is also recorded in the chapter of five emperors in historical records that "the number of Sanmiao in Jianghuai and Jingzhou was in disorder, so Shun returned to the emperor and moved Sanmiao to Sanwei to change Xirong". Later, it was given a series of beautiful myths and legends.

As early as the second half of the second century, Hou Jin, a famous scholar of the Eastern Han Dynasty, wrote books here.

In 352, Buddhists began to build caves here.

In 366, the second year of Jianyuan in the former Qin Dynasty, the eminent monk Yue Zun saw that Sanwei mountain was like a Thousand Buddhas and began to dig the Mogao Grottoes.

Sanwei mountain has been an important religious resort in Dunhuang since ancient times. The scale of Sanwei holy land is very large. It is a scene of Buddhist holy land and Taoist temple.

Main attractions

Sanwei mountain scenic area has gate archway, Wangmu palace, Guanyin well, Amitabha hall, Guanyin hall, Longwang temple, Ping'an temple, Sakyamuni Buddha, Laojun temple and other temple and palace buildings, as well as music hall and various steles and statues on the distant mountain.

The dangerous peak stands to the East

"Dangerous peak to the East" is the first of the "eight scenes of Dunhuang". Because of its "three peaks standing up, like danger to fall", it is particularly magnificent and soul stirring. The ancients once wrote a poem praising: "who moved Mount Tai to Yangguan, the first mountain in Dunhuang?". There is a song like this: "Sanwei mountain is like a purple dragon, Mingsha mountain is like a Golden Phoenix." The dancing of Sanwei mountain and Mingsha mountain is really wonderful and auspicious.

Queen Mother's Palace

Wangmu palace is located on the main peak of Sanwei mountain, 1846 meters high. It sits east to west, with brick pillars and veranda. There is a platform with four empty walls. It is backed by a simple and elegant three story wooden building with a unique style. Although it is in disrepair for a long time, eroded by wind and rain, and the foundation is loose and a little inclined, it still stands facing the wind, which makes it more ancient and magnificent. This palace was built by Taoist Wang Yongjin on the ruins of his predecessors in 1928 (he also presided over the construction of the nine storey building of Mogao Grottoes). It can be seen that the palace had been built before. According to the old people of Dunhuang, there were murals on the inner wall of the palace and statues on the platform, but there are no more. It's said that Zhang Daqian's ink was once on the wall at the top of the door, but it was difficult to identify by incense. All these show that there was a prosperous period of incense and pilgrims in the palace.

Guanyin well

Guanyin well is located in the hinterland of Sanwei mountain, surrounded by a large area of Populus euphratica forest. The water of Guanyin well is sweet. After a hundred years of vicissitudes, it is still prosperous. More than 20 years ago, guanyinjing was once in oblivion. In 1983, the party's religious policy was implemented. At the call of the Buddhist Association, believers Wang Xian and Wang Yue brought their own dry food and water bottles into the mountain to look for a well. After half a month, they finally found an old well and built a well pavilion under the support of monks and common people. Guanyin well is integrated with the surrounding Populus euphratica forest, and the old Guanyin temple and the newly-built Guanyin hall are on the north slope. It's really a good place for leisure vacation and Buddhist worship. Every year on April 8 of the lunar calendar, there is an endless stream of local pilgrims and Chinese and foreign tourists to guanyinjing. Some simply live for a day or two, far away from the world, carefree, have a sense of transcendence. After enjoying themselves, people have to take a bottle of water from Guanyin well to go back. One is for commemoration, the other is for those who haven't arrived to taste it.

Laojuntang

Laojuntang is about 5km to the east of guanyinjing, between the two mountains. It was built for worshiping taishanglaojun. It is said that this place is where taishanglaojun talks with the Buddha in the West. The precipitous terrain and elegant environment make it a good place to practice. Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, temples and temples have been built here. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, most of the temples on the mountain were destroyed, with only a few remains. There are laojuntang, Hunyuan ancient cave, xuanta and some bungalows, as well as a Tang Dynasty building site.

Laojuntang is built on the half slope of the East Mountain, facing the two mountains. It sits on the east to west, with green brick as the base, standing wood as the frame, cornices and carved beams. It looks antique. There is a plaque of "Ziqi Donglai" on the main hall, and a plaque of "Sanjiao Pingxin" on the main door. On both sides, there is a couplet saying: "chaos begins on nature; heaven and earth are settled in Taiji." These plaques and couplets highly summarize the connotation of laojuntang. There is a statue of Laojun in Laojun hall. It has a golden face, silver hair, silver eyebrows and silver whiskers. It has a natural posture and a kind face. There are statues of Sakyamuni and Confucius on both sides, which truly reflect the will of Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. There are traces of murals on the wall, which are not very clear. There is also an ancient pagoda site near laojuntang. The original name of the pagoda is Cishi pagoda. According to research, it was built in Song Dynasty. It is one of the earliest existing pagodas in China. It was moved to Mogao Grottoes in 1981 for preservation. At the top of the mountain to the east of laojuntang, there stands an old brick house. This is Hunyuan ancient cave. It is said that it is the place where Taoist ancestors practice meditation and worship heaven and earth. There are also several mud pagodas on the hill behind the north slope, which are still accompanied by laojuntang after many vicissitudes. It is worth mentioning that some precious cultural relics of the Han Dynasty, such as Tianma brick and Longfeng brick, have been unearthed near laojuntang. They are now in the city museum and the exhibition center of Mogao Grottoes. This shows that in the Western Han Dynasty, temples had been built here, which shows that laojuntang has a long history.

The Heavenly Southern Gate

To enter the Sanwei mountain, you must pass a wooden square on the front ridge, which is the "Nantianmen". It is said that it is the place where the Queen Mother descended to earth and ascended to heaven. It is said that since the Tang Dynasty, the archway of Nantianmen has been built here. The first one is "Nantianmen", and the second one is "daotong Nantian", which means it can connect Nantian. The existing Nantianmen gate is said to have been built in the Qing Dynasty, with carved beams and painted buildings, cornices and angles. After years of vicissitudes, it is even more simple and magnificent. It has been repaired and painted in the past dynasties, and it is still the first scene of climbing Sanwei mountain. It is worth mentioning that the South Gate of heaven is far away from the nine storey building of the Mogao Grottoes. On the same axis, it can be seen that the craftsmen at that time were very ingenious. Standing in front of the gate of Nantian, I feel like I am going to heaven. Taking a group photo here, I have a feeling of transcending the world of mortals.

Tourism information

traffic

Take a bus from Dunhuang bus station.

delicious food

The spicy flavor type is made of pepper, pepper, salt, monosodium glutamate and cooking wine. It is spicy, salty and fresh, with a slightly sweet aftertaste. It is mostly used in cold and hot dishes, such as kung pao chicken, Kung Pao waist piece, Shao mixed winter bamboo shoots, etc.

shopping

In order to meet the needs of tourists, Dunhuang has developed a series of preserved fruit products in recent years. People are always willing to bring some dried fruit products to their relatives and friends. Dunhuang wine, Dunhuang mineral water and Dunhuang fruit drinks are also very popular.

Opening Hours

8：00-19：00

Address: 736200, Southeast of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province

Longitude: 94.862799674272

Latitude: 40.034130096435

Chinese PinYin : San Wei Sheng Jing