Gongyi Grotto Temple.

Gongyi Grotto Temple is located in Siwan Village, Heluo Town, Gongyi City. It was built in the second year of the Xiping period of the Northern Wei Dynasty (517). It was originally named Xixuan Temple, and was renamed "Shifang Pure Land Temple" in the Song Dynasty, and renamed Grotto Temple in the Qing Dynasty. It is a national key cultural relic protection unit.

There are 5 caves, 1 Thousand Buddha Niche, 3 cliff statues, 7,743 Buddha statues, and 186 statue inscriptions and other stone inscriptions in Gongyi Grotto Temple.

Gongyi Grotto Temple was built after the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang. It combines the foreign influence of Buddhist art with the art of the Han nationality in the Central Plains, breaking away from the characteristics of deep eyes, high nose, and thin bones in the early Northern Wei Dynasty, and replacing them with square faces, serene expressions, and mostly static statue styles.

It forms an artistic style that transitions from the Northern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, and occupies an important position in the history of carving art. The "Emperor and Empress Worshiping Buddha" in the first cave is the most complete single piece preserved in China.

I have been to many national key cultural relic protection units and seen many grotto temples, but this is the first one where I can appreciate the statues at such a close distance without any protective measures, let alone a national second-class one.

However, everything has two sides. If you can get close, there will be tourists touching it. The "Emperor and Empress Worshiping Buddha" has been touched so much that it is shiny, and there is no limit on the number of visitors during holidays. There is no one-way line in the cave, and the narrow space is crowded, which greatly affects the experience.

The ticket is CNY 30, parking is convenient, and the parking fee is CNY 10.

Post by Al3x1s_@byss | Nov 20, 2024