I thought this little-known grotto was the first royal grotto west of Chang'an.

Not wanting to be in a crowd during the National Day holiday, I decided to take a different path and visit the small, unassuming county of Linyou. Upon arrival, I discovered that there are many historical sites here. On the eastern side of Linyou County, on the mountain wall by the Qishui River, there is a grotto from the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Before coming, I thought this was just a grotto built by the people, but I later learned that it has a significant history. When Emperor Wen of Sui was spending the summer at Jiucheng Palace, he built a grotto here for convenience in worshiping Buddha. During the Tang Dynasty, it was an important place for Buddhist activities. Emperor Taizong and Emperor Gaozong of Tang both left their footprints here, and Xue Rengui, who shot three arrows to determine the location of Tianshan Mountain, was responsible for the expansion and excavation of the grotto. It is the first royal grotto west of Chang'an. It is said that the main Buddha in the second cave here resembles Empress Wu Zetian, just like the Lushena Buddha in the Longmen Grottoes. 🏠Cishan Temple Grottoes 📍400 meters west of Guzhuangzi, Jiuchenggong Town, Linyou.