The Grottoes Temple in Gong County is located at the foot of Dali Hill, 9km away in the northeast of Gong County, Henan Province.
Backing by the Yimang Mountain and facing the Yi-lo River, the Grottoes Temple in Gong County is imbued with the gorgeous beauty of the mountain and river, and has been reputed as “a serene scenic spot with sight rivulet, fog, rocks and cloud and suitable for quiet dwelling. The temple was built in the second year (517) of Xiping reign during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) and was originally named the Xixuan Temple. In the Song Dynasty (960-1279) its name was changed to the Shifang Jingtu Temple (Shifang Pure Land Temple) and then in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) it was changed to its present name. Emperor Xuanwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty used to pay homage to Buddha in this temple and ordered workmen to carve out grottoes and Buddha sculptures, followed by a successive construction in the Eastern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, Tang and Song Dynasties (534-1279) and gradually a grand group of grottoes came into being.
Now there are five caverns, 256 niches, and totally 7,743 sculptures of Buddha in the temple, among which there are three large sculptures carved out on cliffs and over 220 stone inscriptions. Most of the caverns are square with pillars in the center and chiseled figures around the pillars, and their ceilings are latticed by embossment bars. The embossment on the ceiling of the fifth cavern is the most exquisite one. It shows dazzling flower bunch with fully bloomed lotus at the center surrounded by elegant and beautiful Flying Apsaras. Elegant in form and exquisite in composition, it is of high aesthetic value.
Most sculptures of Buddha in the grottoes have square or round faces, with tranquil and refined expressions. The lines on their cloths are brief and simple. The ceremonies, Flying Apsaras, holy beasts and Buddhist stories are the main content of the well-preserved embossment made in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), occupying an important position in the carving art of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The Royal Ceremony Picture in the first cavern is the most exquisite one. This picture has three layers: In the east are the male patrons led by the emperor, in the west are female patrons led by the queen and the two columns are ushered by the Bhiksu and Bhiksuni respectively. The picture makes a sharp contrast between the elegant nobles and short attendants. This way of enlarging the nobles and dwindling the inferior was very common in Chinese ancient paintings and sculptures. The Royal Ceremony Picture in the fourth cavern has a unique sculpting. Among the honor guards, the patrons are chubby and stern while the attendants are thin and short; the sculptures of the latter are only two-thirds of the masters. Some of the attendants are lifting the dresses for the royals, some holding the fans and umbrellas, and some holding the sacrificing utensils. A great number of attendants surround the royals to perform the ceremony. The picture displays the grand occasion of the royal religious activity. With concise and vivid composition, it is a rare treasure in embossment art of Chinese grottoes.
Most buildings in the temple have been destroyed. Only the hall, the east and west adjacent rooms built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) have remained.
(Source: chinaculture.org)
