The Fifth Largest Grotto in China: Xiangtangshan Grottoes

Entering the territory of Handan, Hebei from Anyang, the Xiangtangshan Grottoes in the Fengfeng Mining Area are ranked as the fifth largest grottoes in China. The grottoes were built during the Northern Qi dynasty, with additional carving in later dynasties. The Northern Qi dynasty, established by the Xianbei people, lasted only 27 years in the long and vast history of China. During these brief 27 years, the throne changed hands six times. The economy was once prosperous, and Buddhism was highly revered, leaving behind the most unique and splendid legacy in the history of Chinese Buddhist statuary. The Xiangtangshan Grottoes inherited the concept of 'the emperor is the Tathagata' from the Yungang and Longmen grottoes of the Northern Wei dynasty. The main Buddha statues in the Great Buddha Cave are believed to be the images of the founding Gao family of the Northern Qi, characterized by their robust and heroic figures, high noses, long eyes, full faces, and tight clothing. Their style, distinct from the influence of the Southern Dynasties' scholar-officials' preference for slender and refined aesthetics, carries the trend of 'robes flowing like water,' serving as a transition to the Buddhist statuary of the later Tang dynasty. Additionally, the Sutra Carving Cave contains a large number of cliff-carved scriptures, which are said to have pioneered the carving of Buddhist scriptures in Chinese grottoes. The inscriptions play an important role in the transition from clerical script to Tang dynasty regular script in Chinese calligraphy.