Atlas of China
Xiangtangshan Caves 响堂山石窟Xiǎngtángshān Shíkū
4A scenic area · National heritage site · Handan, Hebei
- Time needed
- Half a day to 1 day
- Days to budget
- 1 day
- City
- Handan
- Region
- Hebei
- Type
- Heritage
- Listed as
- 4A scenic area, National heritage site
About Xiangtangshan Caves
A group of Buddhist cave temples cut into the limestone of Mount Gu and Mount Fu, begun under the Eastern Wei and carved chiefly under the Northern Qi (550–577), whose capital stood at nearby Ye. The northern group is the main stop, with large caves built around central pillars, such as the Big Buddha Cave, and Buddhist sutras carved into the rock; the southern group, about 12 km away, has smaller caves with carved sutras and a site museum beside it. Many heads and reliefs were chiselled off in the early twentieth century and are now in museums abroad, so some figures on site are later replacements.
How to get to Xiangtangshan Caves
The northern caves, the main stop, are in Fengfeng Mining District about 31 km west-south-west of central Handan, and the southern group lies about 12 km south-south-east of them on the edge of Fengfeng town.
Nearby
- Yinxu 殷墟 50 km
The last Shang capital, where China's earliest writing and Fu Hao's tomb came to light
Also within 20 km: Shuiyusi Grottoes 水浴寺石窟 (under 10 km), Cishan Site 磁山遗址 (under 10 km), Tianqing Temple, Wu'an 天青寺 (under 10 km), Zhifang Yuhuang Pavilion 纸坊玉皇阁 (10 km), Cizhou Kiln Site 磁州窑遗址 (10 km), Wu'an Sarira Pagoda 武安舍利塔 (20 km).
On the map
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