[2024 Binzhou Attraction] Travel Guide for Xianyang Binxian County Grand Buddha Temple (Updated Nov)
Temples
Address:
West of Bin County, Shaanxi Province 713500
Opening times:
Opens at 09:00-17:00(Admission ends at 16:30)Open
Recommended sightseeing time:
1-3 hours
Binzhou Giant Buddha Temple Grottoes.
In the long river of time, the Binzhou Giant Buddha Temple Grottoes are like a bright pearl, quietly shining with the light of history and art.
Stepping into this sacred place is like traveling through a thousand years. The grottoes are carved into the mountain, majestic and magnificent, witnessing the vicissitudes and glory of time. The vivid Buddha statues, with their kind faces and different postures, and the exquisite carving techniques, make people marvel at the wisdom and craftsmanship of the ancients.
Here, every mark tells an ancient story, and every line flows with the power of faith. The sunlight shines through the gaps in the caves, casting a sacred glow on the Buddha statues, creating a peaceful and solemn atmosphere.
The Binzhou Giant Buddha Temple Grottoes are not only a treasure of art but also a resting place for the soul. It carries the memory of history, leading us to feel the charm of ancient civilization and to pursue the long-lost peace and tranquility.
PhoenixFire3475
Binzhou Great Buddha Temple Grottoes.
Binzhou Great Buddha Temple Grottoes
The Great Buddha Temple was originally named Yingfu Temple. The Great Buddha Temple Grottoes were carved into the mountain, with over 100 grottoes scattered across the cliff face. The grottoes include the Great Buddha Cave, Thousand Buddha Cave, and more.
The Great Buddha Temple Grottoes are listed as a World Heritage Site. The Great Buddha Cave was carved from a natural stone cave and was built by Emperor Taizong of Tang to commemorate the soldiers who died in the Battle of Qianshuiyuan in Binzhou. The cave is named after the 24-meter-tall Amitabha Buddha statue carved inside. It is the largest and best-preserved cave in the temple and the largest and most exquisite cave from the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang in China.
Time needed: About 1 hour
Tickets: Seniors aged 60–64 need to buy tickets. Most attractions in Shaanxi only offer free admission to seniors aged 65 and over.
How to buy tickets: Tickets can be purchased on-site.
Unfortunately, apart from the Great Buddha Cave, most of the statues in the other caves have been damaged.
NovaMoonlight39
The Binzhou Dafo Temple Grottoes in Shaanxi
The Dafo Temple Grottoes began to be carved in the Northern Dynasty, and were extensively excavated in the early Tang Dynasty. They were basically completed in the second year of Zhenguan (628). They were built by Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, to commemorate the soldiers who died in the battles of Qianshuiyuan and Wulongban in Binzhou. The temple was named Yingfu Temple. It was renamed Qingshou Temple in the Northern Song Dynasty. Since the Ming Dynasty, it has been commonly known as Dafo Temple, named after the tall and exquisite statue of Amitabha. The Dafo Temple is built on a mountain with carved stone statues. There are more than 130 grottoes, which are distributed in a three-dimensional cliff face about 400 meters long. There are 446 Buddha niches and more than 1980 statues, divided into four parts: Dafo Cave, Thousand Buddha Cave, Arhat Cave, and Zhaba Buddha Cave. It was once praised by the Qing Dynasty scholar Bi Yuan as the "first wonder of Guanzhong". "Dafo Cave" is the center of the temple and the largest cave of the temple. The cave is semi-circular in plan, with a diameter of about 34 meters and a height of 31 meters. Inside the cave, there are three statues of one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas made of stone and clay. Amitabha (commonly known as Dafo) leans against the cliff in the middle, 20 meters high, 13 meters wide at the shoulders, 4.5 meters high at the hands, and 2 meters long at the fingers. He has a gemstone blue bun on his head, beautiful eyebrows and kind eyes, and sits on a lotus platform. Behind the head of the Buddha, there are two round carved lace and seven relief sitting Buddhas, with 19 flying apsaras scattered nearby, forming a rich and auspicious backlight. The Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta standing on both sides are both 15.6 meters tall, wearing crowns and gorgeous tassels, and their expressions are calm. In addition, there are more than 400 small statues of different shapes in the Buddha niches in the cave. The cave is large in scale, with majestic statues and exquisite carvings. It is a treasure trove of ancient modeling. "Dafo Cave" preserves the magnificent backlight carving of the Buddha of that year. There are seven Buddhas sitting in a circle on it, and twenty-two exquisite flying apsaras are guarding the Maitreya Buddha's pagoda, presenting a joyful scene of the Western Paradise. It is known as the largest Buddha in Shaanxi and the Silk Road. The Thousand Buddha Cave is located on the east side of the Dafo Cave. It is a central pillar room structure, composed of three adjacent small caves, with the two sides deeper and the middle slightly smaller. There are more than 300 statues in the cave, most of which are reliefs, except for a few that are three-dimensional. In each niche on the four walls, there are mostly one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas or one Buddha, two disciples and two Bodhisattva statues, with the main statue being Maitreya Buddha. The Bodhisattva statues in each niche present a beautiful large "S" shape, with various postures, most of them bare-chested and bare-bellied, elegant and dynamic, like singing and dancing, reflecting the free and open social fashion of the Tang Dynasty.
The Arhat Cave is located on the west side of the Dafo Cave. It is composed of four small stone caves in a row, with more than 100 statues of different sizes and heights. The main statue in the cave is Sakyamuni Buddha, and the rest are his disciples, Bodhisattvas, strong men, vajras, etc. One of the attendants of Sakyamuni Buddha is Manjusri Bodhisattva. He sits steadily in the middle of the double round lotus petals on the back of a lion, with a very powerful momentum. The lion's shape is extremely charming, with a bell around its neck and its tail swinging, giving a sense of galloping.
The Zhaba Buddha Cave, also known as "Yingfu Temple", is located 200 meters west of the Dafo Cave. Nine small stone caves excavated along the mountain are scattered on the cliff face. The main statue is the Zhaba Buddha, which is 7.5 meters high. The two emperors standing Bodhisattvas are both 5.8 meters high. There are 108 statues of various kinds, with a simple and solemn style, most of which are severely damaged. In front of the Dafo Cave, there is a five-story protective building with a brick and wood structure. The original building was built in the Tang Dynasty. The existing building was rebuilt during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty and was built during the Qing Dynasty. The building is 32 meters high. The first and second floors are paved with strip bricks "one smooth and one ding". The base is square, and the top is a hexagonal spire. The word "Juelu" is carved on the lintel of the first floor. The second floor is piled up with three arch-shaped door holes. The word "Mingjing Tai" is carved on the middle door hole. The three door holes are connected to the Dafo Cave. The light in the Dafo Cave is bright, which is convenient for the worshippers to look at all the statues, so that all the statues in the Dafo Cave are presented to the worshippers in the best light and the best angle. From the third floor up, all are wooden buildings. The width and height of each floor gradually decrease from bottom to top, and the overall outline is square tower-shaped. Each floor has doors and windows, railings are made, and you can climb up to look far away. It is a national key cultural relics protection unit.