Beishi Grottoes | The epic on the cliff, feeling the passage of a thousand years

Beishi Grottoes are located at the junction of the three terraces of Dongzhi Yuan, Tunzi Yuan, and Taiping Yuan, 25 kilometers southwest of Qingyang City, where the Pu and Ru rivers meet. Since its establishment in the second year of Yongping of the Northern Wei Dynasty (509), it has undergone expansions and renovations during the Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties, and has a history of more than 1,500 years. ▫️ The grottoes are divided into three levels: upper, middle, and lower, concentrated on a yellow sandstone cliff face that is 120 meters long and 20 meters high, with densely packed niches resembling a honeycomb. There are currently 308 excavated niches, including about 2,429 statues of various sizes, as well as a rich collection of steles and inscriptions. ▫️ At Beishi Grottoes, in addition to the mysterious caves from the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and the inclusive and vividly famous Tang Dynasty caves, there are also the Northern Zhou grottoes that bridge the two, inheriting the delicate and clear charm of the Northern Wei and marking the beginning of the 'plump and splendid' style of the Sui and Tang dynasties. It represents a transitional period in the history of sculpture. The cultural relics of a fleeting dynasty, preserved here at Beishi Grottoes, are immensely precious. ▫️ As the largest and best-preserved grotto temple site in the Longdong region, Beishi Grottoes hold a certain status and representativeness in the national grotto temple cultural heritage and are also an important cultural relic on the Silk Road. ▫️ Walking slowly on the yellow sand, each step is a mark of history, feeling the thickness and depth of a thousand years of culture. Standing in front of the carvings, it's as if one can hear the sound of ancient craftsmen tapping on the stone, and see the figures of their devout prayers.