Charity Temple Grottoes

Charity Temple Grottoes

The charity Temple grottoes are located on the southwest Bank of Qishui River, 6 km east of Linyou County, Shaanxi Province. The caves were excavated during the reign of Renshou (601-604) of the Sui Dynasty and Yonghui (654) of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty. The charity Temple grottoes were built for the emperors of Sui and Tang Dynasties to spend the summer in Linyou and do Buddhist work. On June 25, 2001, as a cultural relic of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the charity Temple grottoes were approved by the State Council to be listed in the fifth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

The origin of history

Linyou in Baoji, Shaanxi Province, is the location of Jiucheng palace, the summer palace of emperors in the early Tang Dynasty. There are a few Buddhist caves and cliff statues, some of which belong to the works of the Tang Dynasty. Located on the Bank of Qishui River, six kilometers east of Linyou County, the charity Temple grottoes were first excavated in the period of Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty, and then excavated in the period of Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty, Li Zhi and Wu Zetian, and continued to expand and repair the old temples. It is a Palace temple where the empresses and ministers of Sui and Tang Dynasties worshipped Buddha during the summer vacation in Linyou. The land is surrounded by mountains and water, and the trees are luxuriant.

According to historical records, on the night of June 5 in the second year of Renshou (602 A.D.) of Sui Dynasty, when the new Buddhist Hall of charity Temple opened, there was a spiritual light and it circled the beam three times. On June 9, silver filigree and smallpox fell from the sky, and Cui Junde, a sacrificial man, presented it to the emperor in a golden bowl. The stone Buddha statue on the cliff of charity temple is a work of the fourth year of Tang Yonghui (653 AD). In the first year of emperor Wenzong of Tang Dynasty (836 AD), the Buddhist house of charity temple was destroyed by flood and restored many times. At present, there are three caves with more than 40 statues. The main Buddha in the two caves is more than 4.5 meters high. The statues are mellow, full-bodied, ingenious and distinctive in the style of the times. They are excellent works of Buddhist art in the Royal temples of Sui and Tang Dynasties.

Artistic features

The existing caves are distributed on the cliff with a height of 28 meters. There are three caves in the West Cliff and many niches in the South Cliff. There are 12 caves, 6 niches and 47 statues in the two places. The first and second caves of Xiya are horseshoe shaped in plane, and the Buddha statues in the caves are large in size. The main Buddha in the first cave is carved by the Sui palace. It is 5.5 meters high and very precious. On the South Cliff, there are 9 niches for cliff statues, with Buddha statues carved inside, and the volume is small. In addition, there are five inscriptions and scriptures from the Tang Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty inside and outside the walls of the charity Temple grottoes. The Buddhist statues in the caves of charity temple are plump and mellow, and the knife technique is refined. They represent the highest artistic level of the Buddha statues in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and are the model of the Buddhist statues in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Its architecture and carving style were the model for the construction of grottoes at that time, so the preserved cave buildings are also very precious.

According to the records of Linyou County, the grottoes include two caves in the north and West, as well as the nearby cliff niches. The West cave is about 5.6 meters high and 2.56 meters deep. The top of the cave is relatively flat. A Buddha is built and stands 4.5 meters high. On the north wall, there is a niche in the shape of a sharp arch, with one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas carved inside and a flanking attendant carved in the West. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas wear a crown on their head, a naked upper body, a necklace, an arm and a brocade belt, and a skirt on their lower body. There is a small niche on the south wall, with one Buddha and two disciples carved inside. The North cave is 6 meters deep. The top of the cave is in an isolated shape. Three Buddha statues are made. Two niches are carved on the cave wall. One Buddha is carved in the South niche. There is no Buddha statue in the North niche. There are five Buddha niches carved on the cliff nearby, which are square in plane, each side is only more than 1 meter, and each of them has one to five statues.

The Buddha statues carved in the caves of the charity temple have a slightly larger head, plump skin, perfect expression, smooth skirt lines, and concise and powerful sword technique. According to its shape, clothing pattern and decoration, it is basically consistent with the cliff statues of baichiya in the southwest of Linyou County, and belongs to the early works of Tang Dynasty.

Structural construction

The charity Temple grottoes are located 2.5km east of Linyou County, Shaanxi Province, on the cliff on the West Bank of Qishui river. There are three existing grottoes, all facing east in the West. The first, second and third caves of the charity Temple constitute the organic unity of Linyou charity temple. According to the research, the first cave is the theme of the three Buddhas, and the theme and excavation time are relatively clear; the third cave is the unfinished grottoes, which is later than the first and second caves; only the main image of the second cave and the three combination niches on both sides as a whole configuration.

Grotto Buddha

The total area of the grottoes of the charity temple is not large, with only two temples. However, what is particularly valuable is that this giant Buddha still retains the original carving characteristics of the early and prosperous Tang Dynasty because it has not been decorated by future generations. All of these reflect the powerful and exquisite craftsmanship of the sculptures in the early and prosperous Tang Dynasty, and become a model of the knife technique of the statues in the Tang Dynasty.

Linyou charity temple is the first royal temple in Tang Dynasty. The Giant Buddha in the cave of charity temple was carved in the Yonghui reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty. Standing upright, the Buddha has perfect shape, complete outline, high bun, closed eyes, serene posture, plump face, clear facial features, graceful and solemn demeanor, especially the two hand depiction in poetry, which is full, mellow and full of soft muscle texture. There are many unique features in the carving of clothing patterns, such as the overturning and changing of cassock, shawl and pleats, which have distinct layers, perfect structure and rhythm. The lower body pleats can outline the body structure, and the thickness of the pleats can be varied by using realistic techniques.

The main Buddha in the first cave of charity temple was carved in the Sui Dynasty. The Sui Dynasty existed for a short time, and there were few Buddhist relics left. The statues of the main Buddha in the first cave of charity temple, which are so tall and intact, are extremely precious. In Tang Dynasty, besides continuing to use charity temple for Buddhist activities, some new temples were built around Jiucheng palace. The standing Buddha on the left and right sides of the first cave and the standing Buddha and Bodhisattva in the second cave are all engraved in the Tang Dynasty. They are tall and exquisite, with smooth lines and a kind face. The Jingfu Sutra carved in the Tang Dynasty in cave 2 is the earliest extant Buddhist sutra with the largest number of preserved words and the most complete content in China. The tiles unearthed from the charity temple are also extremely precious.

There are three niches on the left and right walls of Dali Buddha cave of charity temple. The niches are carved with three statues of one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas. The Bodhisattvas on both sides have the same characteristics. They are all wearing a crown, naked upper body, tightly wearing a necklace, arm and ribbon, and light and thin skirt. From the perspective of the overall structure, except for the slightly larger head, the posture, proportion and body depiction of the whole body are excellent, which can be said to be the perfect expression of the rich and colorful look.

The Sutra of worshiping Buddha, which was carved in Nanku in Tang Dynasty, is the earliest extant Sutra with the largest number of preserved words and the most complete content in China.

geographical position

Charity Temple grottoes are located in Linyou County, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province

The southwest Bank of Qishui River, 6km to the East.

Address: Southwest Bank of Qishui River, 6km east of Linyou County, Baoji City

Longitude: 107.83921813965

Latitude: 34.676452636719

Tel: 0917-7960321

Ticket information: market price: 22.0 yuan

Chinese PinYin : Ci Shan Si Shi Ku