[2025 Yi County Attraction] Travel Guide for Wanfotang Rock Cave (Updated Jan)

Yixian Wanfo Temple Grottoes in Jinzhou are located on the north bank of the Daling River, 9 km northwest of Yixian County, Liaoning Province. As of 2015, they are the earliest and largest grottoes in Northeast China, and the northernmost and easternmost grottoes of the Northern Dynasties in China. The Wanfo Temple Grottoes were built during the Northern Wei Dynasty. Due to natural weathering and disrepair, most of the grottoes have collapsed and no longer exist. They are known as a treasure trove of stone carving art in northern China and were designated as a national key cultural relic protection unit in 1988.

Leave Yingkou and go to the second stop, Jinzhou, along the Binhai Highway, driving 139 kilometers and taking three hours to reach Jinzhou Galaxy Plaza. [One] Linghe Night Market: Living in the downtown area, I go straight to the nearby Linghe Night Market and Guta Night Market when I go for a night run. I am surprised and amazed by the night markets in Jinzhou! [Two] Liaoshen Campaign Memorial Hall: Every time I come to Jinzhou, I have to go to the Liaoshen Campaign Memorial Hall to relive that period of history and remember the martyrs! [Three] Ancient Pagoda Historical and Cultural Park: This is really my first time here. There are ancient buildings of Guangji Temple, Guangji Temple Pagoda of Liao Dynasty, Tianhou Palace and Guandi Temple in the park. The most impressive thing is that The Yijun Zhaozhong Temple was built for the Yijun soldiers who died in the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War! Because I had to continue my journey, I didn’t spend too much time in Jinzhou. There are still many scenic spots in Jinzhou worth visiting, and I will come here often. [○]Jinzhou City: [One] Liaoning Province governs prefecture-level cities in the southwest of Liaoning, the north coast of the Bohai Sea, and the eastern part of the Western Liaoning Corridor. The mountains within the territory are rolling, and the terrain is characterized by high northwest. [Two] Total area is 10,301 square kilometers. At the end of 2023, the city's registered population was 2.783 million. [Three] It is an important industrial city in Liaoning and a transportation hub city in Northeast China, and an important port city in Liaoning's coastal economic zone. [Four] has a history of more than 2,000 years and was first named in the Liao Dynasty. [Five] Famous attractions: Bijia Mountain, Jinzhou World Expo Park, Liaoshen Campaign Memorial Hall, Beizhen Qingyan Temple Scenic Area, Beiputuo Mountain, Fengguo Temple, Wanfotang Grottoes, Daguangji Temple Tower, Yiwulu Mountain Scenic Area, etc.

Jinzhou Yixian County Wanfo Cave|||Jinzhou Yixian County Wanfo Cave The cave is over 1,500 years old and is a Northern Wei Dynasty cave complex. The western cave was built by General Yuan Jing, the governor of Yingzhou during the Northern Wei Dynasty, and was a royal cave. The chief designer was Master Tanyao, who built the Yungang and Longmen Grottoes. Three years after the completion of the western cave, Han Zhen built the eastern cave. In the early days, the western and eastern caves had a total of more than 16,000 Buddha statues, hence the name Wanfo Cave (Ten Thousand Buddha Cave), and more than 400 statues remain today. Cave 6 in the western area: There is a cross-legged Maitreya (Figure 2), 3.5 meters high, carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty, an early image of Maitreya, with long cheeks, long eyebrows, thin eyes, a high nose, and thin lips. Caves 6 to 2 are connected. Cave 5: Inside is a national treasure-level Wei stele, the Yuanjing Statue Stele (Figure 4), which is valuable because the characters carved on it are standard Wei script, and the carved characters are like brush writing. Caves 2 to 4 have some remaining murals and Buddha statues, such as male flying deities (Figures 5 to 7). Cave 1: The largest central square pagoda-shaped cave from the Northern Wei Dynasty (Figure 9), the most exquisite cave in Wanfo Cave. There are 13 Buddha statues (Figure 10): vertical three Buddhas (past Buddha, present Buddha, future Buddha), horizontal three Buddhas (Medicine Buddha, Shakyamuni, Amitabha), three-body Buddha: three identities of Shakyamuni (Nirmanakaya, Sambhogakaya, Dharmakaya), four-faced Buddha (Tang Dynasty). Highlights of the eastern area: 1. Smiling Buddha (Figure 12), generally, Buddha statues have very few expressions, and this smiling expression is a highlight. 2. Esoteric Buddhism Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara (Figure 14), late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. Each hand has an eye, reminding us that we should not be all talk and no action, but should combine action with vision. Dry-handed Avalokitesvara statues are relatively common, but Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara statues are rare. 3. Cliff carvings: Han Zhen Statue Stele inscription (Figure 13). 4. Thousand-year-old Bodhi tree (Figure 15): 1,500 years old, seven trees from the same root, with a spring underneath (Tang King Holy Water).

The Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall Grottoes, first excavated in the 23rd year of the Taihe era of the Northern Wei Dynasty (499 AD), is the earliest and largest grotto group in the northeastern region. Due to years of natural weathering and lack of maintenance, most of the grottoes have been damaged and collapsed, no longer existing. It is known as the treasure trove of grotto sculpture art in northern China. Currently, only more than 20 grottoes (niches) and 430 statues remain. Among them, a 3.5-meter-high cross-legged Maitreya Buddha statue in the sixth grotto is said to be sculpted in the likeness of Emperor Xiaowen, considered a masterpiece of Buddhist sculpture and the crown jewel of the 'Four Treasures of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall.' The Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties period was the most prosperous era for Chinese sculpture. The Northern Wei Empire, which once unified northern China, is also known as the 'Dynasty Carved on Grottoes.' The colorful wall carvings, Buddha statues, and lotus flying apsaras caissons of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall Grottoes are precious relics of the Northern Wei, still vivid and lifelike after 1500 years. The 'Smiling Buddha' is the most beautiful statue in the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall Grottoes. Although many parts have weathered, the Buddha statue smiles from any angle, earning it the title 'Mona Lisa of the East' from experts and scholars. It is said that craftsmen of various dynasties tried to imitate it, but none could replicate such a simple, natural, subtle, and kind smile. One of the 'Four Treasures of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall,' the Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye Guanyin statue, is the only Ming Dynasty clay sculpture of Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye Guanyin in the northeastern region. It is said that this Thousand-Hand Guanyin statue is very effective in answering prayers, and local devotees come to worship and pray for peace on the first and fifteenth of every lunar month. Behind the Thousand-Hand Guanyin Grotto, a thousand-year-old bodhi tree, the only one in the northeastern region, grows on the cliff. The tree is 1500 years old and is praised by experts and scholars as the 'northernmost, most beautiful, and oldest bodhi tree in the world.' Under the tree is an ancient well, said to have been dug by Li Shimin during his eastern expedition to Goguryeo. The well water is sweet. The 'Yuanjing Statue Stele' in the fifth grotto was handwritten by Yuanjing, the general who excavated the grottoes, in 499 AD. The inscription is vigorous and elegant, with a rigorous structure, praised by Kang Youwei as 'the best of the Northern Wei steles.' Today, the original stele is weathered and the characters are unclear.

The Wanfotang Grottoes are located on the north bank of the Daling River, 9 kilometers northwest of Yixian County in Liaoning Province. As of 2015, they are the earliest and largest grotto complex in Northeast China, and also the northernmost and easternmost grotto complex among the Northern Dynasties grottoes in China. The Wanfotang Grottoes were founded during the Northern Wei Dynasty. Due to years of natural weathering and lack of maintenance, most of the grottoes have been damaged and collapsed, no longer existing. They are acclaimed as a treasure trove of stone carving art in northern China, and the Wanfotang Grottoes are also a scenic area that integrates cultural landscapes with natural scenery. In 1988, it was designated as a national key cultural relics protection unit.

The Wanhua Cave in Yixian County is the last stop on the trip. Although Fengguo Temple is famous, it is not the oldest historical site in Yixian County. The Wanhua Cave, which was excavated in the 23rd year of Taihe of the Northern Wei Dynasty, is the more ancient Buddhist holy land. It is also the only cliff cave group in the northeast region and is known as the most northern cave in China by latitude. Upon first seeing the Wanhua Cave, one feels a sense of desolation. Due to natural weathering and lack of repairs over the years, there is little left of the collapsed caves. The remaining Buddha statues, carvings, and murals in the caves are also mostly damaged, which is heartbreaking. Although these Buddha statues, reliefs, and murals that have weathered the elements are not intact, they possess a flawed beauty that does not obscure their virtues. In comparison, the newly repaired caves nearby seem to have lost not only the old shadows of the caves due to the wind and sand but also the exquisite craftsmanship of the ancient artisans. The Wanhua Cave is built on the cliffs on the north bank of the Daling River, divided into eastern and western areas due to different excavation times, with the western area being earlier and the eastern area slightly later. 🔸Eastern area highlights: 1. There are 7 existing caves, severely weathered, with the 4th cave being the largest. In the middle, a sculpture of the Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin is worshipped, flanked by Manjushri and Samantabhadra. The Thousand-Handed Guanyin is a clay sculpture with a golden body, and each hand has an eye carved on it, symbolizing the unity of hand and eye. 2. A Bodhi tree over 500 years old, under which water droplets fall from the cliff all year round, is regarded as sacred Bodhi water by locals. Now, one can scoop and taste the water in the cave under the Bodhi tree. 🔸Western area highlights: 1. There are 9 existing caves divided into two levels, with the first and sixth caves being relatively well-preserved. 2. The first cave is the largest central square-column cave from the Northern Wei Dynasty, with a rich collection of statues and murals inside. 3. The sixth cave houses the largest statue in the Wanhua Cave – a cross-legged Maitreya Buddha statue, standing 3.5 meters tall, which is different from the commonly seen pot-bellied Maitreya Buddha. This statue is a typical Northern Wei representation of a lean and ascetic figure. 4. The fifth cave contains a national treasure-level Wei stele – the Yuanjing Sculpture Stele, the last Wei stele in the northern cave temples. Zhou Enlai once used this stele to refute the Russian fallacy that 'territory beyond the Great Wall has never been part of China since ancient times.' 5. On the mountain connecting the eastern and western areas, there is a uniquely shaped barrel-style pagoda, built by the Ming Dynasty general Wang Kai to celebrate his mother's birthday. Practical information for Wanhua Cave 🕑Opening hours: 8:00-16:30 🎫Ticket price: 40 yuan 🚗Transportation: The straight-line distance from the cave to the county town is only 8.3 kilometers, which is not far, but the road is tough. 1. Self-driving is definitely the most convenient, but the road up the mountain is quite narrow, and traffic jams may occur during peak periods. 2. Taking a taxi is more expensive with a fixed price of 50 yuan without using the meter. Taking a taxi from the county town to the cave is even more outrageous, costing 100 yuan for a round trip, so it might as well be a 100 yuan chartered round trip. 3. At the passenger transport station, you can take the northwest loop line to the cave. There is a departure timetable when going, but no fixed time for return, so you need to call the driver to arrange.

|The earliest and largest grotto group in Northeast China. Wanfo Temple Grottoes, located on the north bank of the Daling River 9 kilometers northwest of Yixian County, Liaoning Province, is the earliest and largest grotto group in Northeast China as of 2015. It is also the northernmost and easternmost grotto group in the Northern Dynasties of China. The Wanfo Temple Grottoes were built during the Northern Wei Dynasty. Due to years of natural weathering and disrepair, most of the grottoes have been damaged and collapsed and no longer exist. It is hailed as a treasure trove of northern Chinese grotto sculpture art, and the Wanfo Temple Grottoes are also a scenic spot that integrates cultural and natural landscapes. It was designated as a national key cultural relics protection unit in 1988. The Wanfo Temple Grottoes are divided into east and west areas. The west area was excavated in the 23rd year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty (499 AD) by Yuan Jing, the General of Pingdong and the Governor of Yingzhou, to pray for blessings for Emperor Xiaowen. The east area was excavated in the third year of Jingming of the Northern Wei Dynasty (502 AD) by Han Zhen, the envoy to comfort the Khitan, and his officers and soldiers to pray for blessings for the people. The west area is the essence of the entire Wanfo Temple Grottoes. ✅West area ▪️The central square tower-type grotto left over from the Northern Wei Dynasty is the largest and most exciting grotto in the Wanfo Temple Grottoes. Its three sides of the cliff have Buddha statues, and the upper part has many painted Buddha statues. Although it has gone through more than 1,500 years and has been greatly damaged, it can still see its once magnificent and magnificent, with a typical Northern Wei grotto sculpture style. ▪️The second, third and fourth grottoes: connected together, the south wall is carved with small Buddhas in the style of a thousand Buddhas and flying apsaras reliefs, as well as small Maitreya statues in conversation, which are a miniature of the sixth grotto Maitreya with crossed legs. ▪️The symbol of the Wanfo Temple Grottoes, "Maitreya with crossed legs". It is 3.2 meters high, with drooping eyebrows and eyes, smiling but not smiling, thin and clear, and is the largest and earliest Maitreya Buddha statue in the Northeast Grottoes. But because of its age, weathering and destruction are very serious. ▪️The statue stele of Yuan Jing, the General of Pingdong and the Governor of Yingzhou. This stele was built during the excavation period of the Wanfo Temple (499 AD). Its preciousness lies not only in the calligraphy art of "opening the sky and shining brightly", but also in its historical significance. It refutes the nonsense of foreign forces that "the territory north of the Great Wall has never been China's territory since ancient times". ▪️The cliff inside the cave. There are rows of painted relief small Buddhas carved on it, and there is also a small Bodhisattva with crossed legs, with kneeling attendants on both sides. ✅East area ▪️Thousand-hand and thousand-eye Guanyin. There are fewer stone carvings in the east area, and the thousand-hand and thousand-eye Guanyin is the essence of the east grottoes. Guanyin sits on the throne, with 46 hands stretching out from around her body, each hand has an eye, looking down at all beings. ▪️A very small "Laughing Buddha" carved on the cliff. If you bump into it inadvertently, you will really laugh with this Buddha statue, which is very vivid and highly infectious. ▪️Round small pagoda. Built in the tenth year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty (1474). ✅Small tips 📍Grotto location: Wanfo Temple Village, Toutai Township, Yixian County, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province 🚘Transportation: After arriving in Yixian County, you can charter a car to and from the Wanfo Temple in the city. The driver can wait for more than 1h for tourists to watch. After the visit, return to the county seat. The round-trip charter is generally 80 yuan. 🕐Day scene: 08:30-15:30 Stop admission at 15:00 Night scene: 17:30-21:30 Stop admission at 21:00

⛰【Attraction Guide】 📍Detailed address: Located in Wanfotang Village, north of Dalinghe Park, Yixian County, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province. 🚗Transportation guide: Self-driving 🕙Opening hours: November 1st to March 31st: 8:30~16:00 April 1st to October 31st: 8:00~16:30 💰Ticket price: ￥35/person 🌟Highlights: 1. Wanfotang Grottoes is a comprehensive tourist scenic spot integrating natural landscape and cultural landscape. 2. Geographical location: Wanfotang Grottoes are located in the northernmost and easternmost grotto statue group in northern China. 3. There are more than 20 stone niches and more than 400 statues in the grotto; in addition, there is a large lotus pond in front of the statues in the grotto, with blooming lotus and lotus roots scattered in it, making the statues and reliefs in the grotto more vital. 📜Distribution of grottoes: 1. East District: It was excavated during the Jingming Dynasty of the Northern Wei Dynasty↓ ①The statues in the East District have an exquisite and rich layout, and the statues are lifelike and lifelike. ②The most eye-catching statue of the "Thousand-Hands and Thousand-Eyes Guanyin Bodhisattva" was made by craftsmen in the Ming and Qing dynasties using clay sculptures, gold bodies, and hands with gold eyes. Each of the 46 hands on the body is inlaid with a gold eye and extends outward. It means "hands and eyes unite" to warn everyone not to be too high-minded and too low-handed! 2. West District: It was excavated during the Taihe period of the Northern Wei Dynasty↓ ① Upper level of the west area: There are 3 small grottoes and some niches. ② Lower level of the west area: There are 6 large grottoes. The first grotto is the largest in area. There are four eye-catching characters "Buddha's light shines everywhere" in front of the door. There are also thousands of seated Buddhas in the grotto, all of which are statues from the mid-Northern Wei Dynasty. On the stone wall of the fifth grotto, there is an inscription written by Yuan Jing, a general of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Mr. Kang Youwei of the late Qing Dynasty once rated it as "the best of all steles of the Yuan and Wei Dynasties". It is also a historical fact of great historical value. The Sixth Grotto contains the largest and earliest Maitreya Buddha statue with crossed legs among the grotto statues in northern my country. ❤Reason for recommendation: 1. The Wanfotang Grottoes, built in the Northern Wei Dynasty, are the largest and oldest group of grotto statues in northern China. 2. The Wanfotang Grottoes are the only group of cliff grotto statues in Northeast China, and are known as the "Treasure House of Grotto Statue Art in Northern China"! 3. The murals also contain a large number of life scenes of ancient ethnic minorities, which has extremely high historical and artistic value for studying the cultural life of ethnic minorities and the superb skills of ancient craftsmen! 📌Tips: Today, due to disrepair and natural weathering, most of the statues in the Wanfotang Grottoes have been damaged, and some of them even no longer exist. What a pity! Surrounding food: Goubangzi smoked chicken, Beizhen pig's trotters...

The grottoes are relatively small and can be visited together with the Fengguo Temple in Yixian County. The overall damage is quite severe, with few remaining, but you can still see the smile of the Buddha~ I have collected some information for reference. Wanfo Hall Grottoes, located on the north bank of the Daling River, 9 kilometers northwest of Yixian County, Liaoning Province, is the earliest and largest group of grottoes in Northeast China as of 2015. It is also the northernmost and easternmost group of grottoes in the Northern Dynasties of China. The Wanfo Hall Grottoes were built during the Northern Wei Dynasty. Due to years of natural weathering and lack of maintenance, most of the grottoes have been damaged and collapsed and no longer exist. It is hailed as a treasure trove of northern China's grotto sculpture art, and the Wanfo Hall Grottoes are also a scenic spot that integrates cultural and natural landscapes. It was designated as a national key cultural relics protection unit in 1988. The lower layer of Wanfo Hall Grottoes has 6 grottoes, arranged from east to west. Entering the first grotto, the door is engraved with the four big characters of 'Buddha's Light Shines Everywhere'. The grotto is square, about five meters high, each side is about one meter, there is a square stone pillar in the center, connected to the top of the grotto, the square stone pillar is full of fine carvings, the Buddha statue on the dust arch, the worshiper statue and the Buddha statue inside the upper Buddha, the attendant and the arc-shaped flower canopy, the born child, the flying sky on the top of the grotto, the thousand Buddha-style seated Buddha on the wall inside the door, are all typical mid-Northern Wei sculptures, with vigorous knife skills. The eastern area has seven grottoes, built in the third year of Jingming of the Northern Wei Dynasty, which were private grottoes built by Han Zhen and others, the envoys of the Yuyue Khitan, for blessings. The western area has a total of 9 grottoes, divided into two layers, the upper layer has 3 small grottoes, the stone carvings inside the grotto have been weathered and no longer exist. The inscription of the fifth grotto is an important historical material, and it was written by General Pingdong Yuanjing in 499 AD when the cliff was built, and it was rated as 'the best of all the steles of the Yuan and Wei Dynasties' by Kang Youwei in the late Qing Dynasty. There is a small round pagoda on the top of the grotto, built by the General of the Cavalry, Wang Kai, in the tenth year of Chenghua of the Ming Dynasty (1474 AD) to celebrate his mother's birthday. The first grotto in the western area is the largest, with three Buddhas carved on each of the east, west and north walls. The Buddha statues and the statues of the worshippers on the upper part of the square pillar in the center of the grotto. The four Buddha statues at the bottom were carved by later generations. The main statue of the sixth grotto is the cross-legged Maitreya. Yuanjing's statue inscription is carved on the south wall of the fifth grotto. There are 7 grottoes in the eastern area, and most of the statues have been weathered and no longer exist. The third grotto has a thousand-armed Guanyin and two attendant Bodhisattvas. Han Zhen's statue inscription is carved on the south wall of the fourth grotto.

Art of stone caves is distributed all over China, north and south of the Yangtze River, inside and outside the Great Wall, the most representative stone caves in the Northeast region are in Yixian County's Wanfo Hall. Wanfo Hall Stone Cave is located on the cliff on the north bank of the Dalin River, 9 kilometers northwest of Yixian County, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province. It costs 50 yuan to take a taxi from the city, and it is recommended to ask the driver to wait at the door, as it is difficult to get a taxi on the way back. 🕘Tour time: 1-1.5 hours Wanfo Hall Stone Cave was built during the Taihe period of the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 499), and was excavated by Yuan Jing, the then General Pingdong and the governor of Yingzhou, to pray for the Emperor Xiaowen, and invited Tanyao to preside over the excavation (Tanyao was also the supervisor of the Yungang Grottoes). Unfortunately, the preservation of the stone caves is not good, and the valuable stone caves are only 2-3. The sixth cave, the cross-legged Maitreya, is a typical Northern Wei statue, The first cave is not allowed to take pictures, the central square tower cave, there are Buddha statues and donor figures on the column body and around, there are the same mountain leaf banana flower shapes on the column head as in the Yungang Grottoes, but overall it looks much rougher. The recently added statue of Guan Gong and the Buddha statues and murals stuffed in each cave are vulgar and out of place, and are a poor continuation. The protection of cultural relics requires funds, technology, and most importantly, the support of concepts. Otherwise, the so-called protection behavior is more destructive than inaction. 📍Address: South side of Wanfo Hall Village, Yixian County, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province 🎫Ticket: 40/person (Ctrip booking 35/person)