Northern Song Dynasty Grottoes on the Loess Plateau

🟨The loess belt through which the Yellow River flows has cultivated ancient Chinese civilization, and the integration of foreign Buddhist ideas has also left eye-catching rare treasures here. Located in the Yan'an area in the southern part of the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi, there are several grotto temples with high artistic standards, which can be regarded as an important link in the history of the development of Chinese grotto art. 🟫The Zhongshan Grottoes are located at the southern foot of Zhongshan Mountain in the east of Anding Town, about 15 kilometers west of Zichang. It is backed by Zhongshan Mountain and faces Yanhe River. The representative masterpiece here is the main cave, which was built in the fourth year of Zhiping (1067), the reign of Emperor Yingzong of the Northern Song Dynasty. Its plan is rectangular, 16.4 meters wide, 9.5 meters deep and 5.5 meters high. A large rectangular Buddhist altar was carved in the center of the cave. Eight square stone pillars were erected on the altar, symmetrical from front to back and arranged in two rows, leading directly to the top of the cave. Three groups of Buddha statues are placed on the Buddhist altar. The stone pillars on the altar and the four walls of the cave are carved with images of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats of various sizes, showing three-dimensional images with vivid charm and distinctive personality. 🏆The third batch of national key cultural relics protection units 📍Address: At the foot of Zhongshan Mountain in the east of Anding Town, Zichang City, Shaanxi Province 🎫Ticket: 30 yuan/person