Xumishan Grottoes

Xumi mountain is a scenic spot with more than 100 caves. The caves in this area were first excavated in the Northern Wei Dynasty, more than 1400 years ago. In ancient times, the Sikouzi river at the foot of the mountain was called Shimen water. Shimen pass was once set on the water, which became an important channel in the eastern section of the silk road. It was also an important gateway for the Han Dynasty in the Central Plains to fight and repair with the ethnic minorities in the western regions. Today, of course, there is no such site, but the grottoes on the eight cliffs are still full of artistic brilliance.

The whole scenic area is divided into two parts: Museum and grottoes. The two places are far away from each other. You can also take the sightseeing bus in the scenic area to these two places (10 yuan for each round trip, plus fees). Visitors can visit the museum first when they enter the scenic area. The exhibits in the museum are mainly copies of grottoes and Buddhist art. Here you can learn about the Buddhist grottoes, collections and allusions related to Buddhism all over the silk road.

Xumishan Grottoes

Xumishan grottoes, located 55 kilometers northwest of Guyuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, are located in Liupan Mountain, which lies on Xumishan in the north. It is a national AAAA tourist attraction. It is a must pass of the eastern part of the ancient "Silk Road" and one of the top ten Grottoes in China.

Xumishan grottoes were first excavated during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (477-499 AD). After large-scale construction in the Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui and Tang Dynasties and repair in the song, yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, with the help of mysterious Buddhist culture, incense flourished for more than 1500 years and became the largest Buddhist temple in Guyuan in ancient times.

"Xumi" is a transliteration of Sanskrit, meaning Baoshan.

Xumishan grottoes are large-scale Grottoes in the Northern Dynasties, Sui and Tang Dynasties. It is a rare scenic spot on the Loess Plateau in Northwest China and has important artistic value.

In 1982, Xumishan Grottoes was listed as "national key cultural relics protection unit" by the State Council.

The origin of history

Xumi mountain originally refers to the famous Buddhist mountain in Indian legend. It is said that the mountain is very high. The top of the mountain is shiditian. The four heavenly kings live on the four sides of the mountain. There are qixianghai and qixiangshan around it. Besides the seventh golden mountain, there is the Aral Sea surrounded by Tiewei mountain. There are four continents around the Aral Sea. Historically, the mountain on the side of Shimen pass was called Xumi mountain, which naturally increased the mystery and strong Buddhist color of Xumi mountain.

The Sanskrit name is Sumeru, and the Pali name is the same. It is also known as sumilu mountain, xumilu mountain, xumilu mountain, xiumilou mountain, and slightly as Meru mountain. Miaoguangshan, haoguangshan, haogaoshan, shangaoshan, shanjishan, miaoguangshan, anmingyoushan. It was originally the name of the mountain in Indian mythology, and is still used in Buddhist cosmology. It is said that it stands in the middle of a small world. With this mountain as the center, surrounded by eight mountains and eight seas, a world (Xumi world) is formed.

Pioneering period

Xumishan grottoes were first excavated during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (477-499 A.D.).

The pre Qin and Northern Dynasties period of the Sixteen Kingdoms was the initial period of Xumishan grottoes.

The Northern Wei Dynasty was the initial period of Xumishan grottoes. The caves of this period were concentrated in the descendants' palace area, represented by caves 14 and 24.

The Northern Zhou Dynasty was the peak period in the excavation history of Xumishan grottoes. During this period, the grottoes were mainly concentrated in Yuanguang temple, Xiangguo Temple, descendant palace and songshuwa, represented by caves 45, 46, 48 and 51.

The Sui Dynasty was a period of redevelopment of the Xumishan grottoes. The three caves excavated in the Sui Dynasty are mainly concentrated in Xiangguo Temple area. There are two types of caves: square and central pillar. In terms of the shapes and statues of the grottoes and niches, they basically inherited the style of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, but also made some innovations, gradually forming a new style of plump and mellow, realistic style, and in the transition stage to the early Tang Dynasty.

In the Tang Dynasty, in order to strengthen the border defense, the Tang Dynasty set up "Shimen pass" here, which directly restricted the military and traffic between the Central Plains and the western regions, making it known as "the throat of Guanzhong".

In the Song Dynasty, it was also a dangerous pass for huaidejun's garrison in pingxia city. Xumi mountain is located in the desert in the north and the main road of western regions in the West. It is the first famous Buddhist grotto holy land after the silk road left Chang'an in the West. It is also the site of the famous ancient shimenguan site. According to the general annals of Gansu Province of the Qing Dynasty, "there is an ancient temple on Xumi mountain, 90 miles north of the state, where pines and cypresses are green, which is the ancient shimenguan site." Shimen pass is one of the seven famous passes around Sui and Tang Dynasties. It is the gateway from the northwest to the capital Chang'an and the gateway to shield the Central Plains and Chang'an.

In the Jin Dynasty, although the rule was short, Jingyun temple was built on a large scale, and its management was very standardized.

The Ming Dynasty is the period when the sun returns to shine in Xumishan grottoes. In the eighth year of Zhengtong (1443) of the Ming Dynasty, chuoji Wangsu, a monk of Jingyun temple, rebuilt the corridor and veranda of the Buddhist hall on the foundation of the old temple. Later, he played the Yingzong emperor and begged for a plaque. Yingzong agreed and inscribed the plaque of Yuanguang temple.

In the Qing Dynasty, "Xumi Songtao" has become one of the eight scenic spots in Guyuan. It is recorded in the stele of rebuilding Xumishan Buddhist temple in the 37th year of Kangxi that the restoration process is still temple architecture and has no chance with grottoes.

On December 16, 1920, Haiyuan earthquake caused serious damage to the grottoes.

In December 1958, Sikouzi reservoir was built here in Guyuan area. At that time, people's awareness of cultural relics protection was weak. Workers went to Xumi mountain to cut wood during the day and to make a fire in the grottoes at night. As a result, the "Xumi Songtao" was destroyed, and many statues in the caves became "black faced Buddha statues", which is a pity.

In 1961, the government of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region listed the Xumishan Grottoes as a key cultural relic protection unit in the autonomous region, thus the "Xumishan Grottoes" was officially named.

In 1982, it was listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit.

On June 6, 2007, the world foundation for the protection of historical sites announced that the Xumishan Grottoes in Guyuan, Ningxia is one of the "top 100 endangered civilization sites in the world in 2008".

On December 20, 2007, the cultural relics of Xumishan grottoes, a state key cultural relic protection unit, will be maintained and protected. The development and Reform Commission of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has issued a special fund investment plan within the central budget, with an investment of 3.5 million yuan to carry out the construction of the cultural relics protection and environmental comprehensive improvement project of Xumishan grottoes.

From April 13 to May 10, 2011, the seventh Liupanshan Mountain Flower Tourism Festival was held in the Xumishan Grottoes scenic area of Guyuan City.

In June 2011, Ningxia Xumishan Museum opened. It is the first special museum with the theme of "Silk Road and Buddhist grotto art" in China.

On April 1, 2020, the murals of Xumishan grottoes were restored and protected for the first time in a century.

geographical environment

Xumishan Grottoes is located in huangduopu Town, Yuanzhou District, Guyuan City, Ningxia Province, on the mountain peak at the north foot of Sikouzi, a branch of Liupan Mountain, 55 kilometers north of the city.

It is located at 106 ° e, 36 ° N and 1800 m above sea level.

The location of Xumishan Grottoes has been the transportation hub and strategic location from the Central Plains to Hexi Corridor and North and south of the desert since ancient times. After the opening of the "Silk Road", it became a necessary place for the eastern part of the "Silk Road" and the northern part of the "Silk Road". It was the shortest necessary place from Chang'an to the western regions. In the Tang Dynasty, in order to strengthen the border defense, the Tang Dynasty set up "Shimen pass" here, which directly restricted the military and traffic between the Central Plains and the western regions, making it known as "the throat of Guanzhong".

Climatic characteristics

Xumishan Grottoes is located in the warm and semi-arid climate zone of the Loess Plateau, which is a typical continental climate. It has the characteristics of long and cold winter, variable temperature in spring, short and cool in summer, rapid cooling in autumn, large temperature difference between day and night, less rainfall in spring and early summer, more disastrous weather and large regional precipitation difference.

Geology and geomorphology

Xumishan Grottoes is a geological Cenozoic Tertiary sedimentary rock group, including the formation of red strata, orogenic uplift and external dynamic etching.

Distribution

There are 162 caves in Xumishan grottoes, which are distributed in eight natural areas from south to north, namely, the Great Buddha building area, the descendant palace area, the Yuanguang temple area, the Xiangguo Temple area, the Taohua cave area, the songshuwa area, the sangeyao area and the heishigou area. There are more than 500 well preserved statues, 53 inscriptions in Chinese and Tibetan, 3 square steles, 13 remnant steles and more than 20 square meters of murals. Among the more than 500 preserved statues, murals and inscriptions, the statues of Buddhist figures, painted murals and Buddhist legends have their own distinctive characteristics of the times. Whether the Giant Buddha is more than 20 meters high or the supporter is only 0.2 meters high, they are all exquisitely carved, with both reliefs and high reliefs similar to round ones, full of a strong flavor of life.

Most of the Grottoes in the Northern Wei Dynasty are concentrated on the cliff surface of the Zisun official area. Judging from the existing statue grottoes, the grottoes are square, and the square pillars in the grottoes are divided into niches on four sides. This form of grottoes evolved from the "Zhiti" Grottoes in India. Most of them are one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas: the Buddha is large and sits upright in the middle; the Bodhisattva is small and stands on both sides. But there are also special circumstances, such as the 14th cave, the earliest excavated in Xumi mountain, where the Buddha statues are carved and painted. Except one niche is Sakyamuni dobao Buddha, the rest of the niches are all Buddha statues without Bodhisattvas.

Chinese PinYin : Xu Mi Shan Shi Ku