Taoist grottoes, rarer than Buddhist ones

In Taiyuan, Shanxi, both Tianlong Mountain and the adjacent Longshan have grottoes, but the nature of the grottoes is completely different. The grottoes of Tianlong Mountain belong to Buddhist grottoes, while those of Longshan belong to Taoist grottoes. Compared with Buddhist grottoes, Taoist grottoes are extremely rare nationwide, making them more precious. The Longshan Grottoes we are talking about today are the largest and most diverse Taoist grottoes in China. The earliest excavation of the Longshan Grottoes dates back to the Tang Dynasty, with further excavations during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. There are a total of nine grottoes, one of which has been completely destroyed, leaving eight in reality. The niches of the Longshan Grottoes have well-preserved inscriptions and a true portrayal of the life of Taoist practitioners during the Yuan Dynasty. The most valuable for sightseeing and archaeology is the Qizhen niche, also known as the Xuanmen Ancestor niche, which has nine statues. The sides of the door are carved with a green dragon, a white tiger, a crane, and a cloud dragon, symbolizing the fairyland of the sacred mountain and truly reflecting the scene of the Taoist Qizhen seven sons preaching.