Hebei Handan•Xiangtangshan Grottoes•Northern Qi Elegy

The Xiangtangshan Grottoes, a treasure trove of Buddhist art located in Fengfeng Mining District, Handan City, Hebei Province, is not only an important symbol in the development history of Chinese grotto art, but also a perfect embodiment of the top aesthetics of the Northern Qi Dynasty. Here, you can see the most precious historical, cultural, and artistic relics of the Northern Qi Dynasty and feel the unique pursuit and profound understanding of beauty in that era. ✅ ⏰Opening hours: 8:00–18:00 (ticket sales stop at the scenic area entrance at 17:00, and at the grotto area at 17:30) 📣We recommend booking a guided tour. The grotto area tour costs CNY 300. 🚶Recommended route: Tour from north to south: Sui Dynasty Buddha Cave → Civil Official Cave → Great Buddha Cave (must-see!) → Song Dynasty Cave → Guandi Cave → Sakyamuni Cave (must-see!) → Guanyin Hall → Stage Area → Sutra Carving Cave (must-see!) → Daye Cave → Double Buddha Cave • It is about 1.5 km (approx. 40–50 mins) to walk 🚶🏻‍♂️ from the mountain gate to the grotto area. • It is about 700 steps up the mountain along the walking trail 🚶🏻‍♂️ (approx. 30–40 mins). • After taking the sightseeing bus 🚌 to the platform on the mountain, it is another 200+ steps (approx. 8 mins). Attractions worth seeing: North Xiangtang • Great Buddha Cave: The most famous and largest cave in North Xiangtang, it was built in the Northern Wei Dynasty. The main statue of Sakyamuni Buddha in the cave is 3.5m high, sitting cross-legged in a curtain-shaped niche, wearing a double-shouldered cassock, with sparse and unrestrained clothing patterns, a round and broad body, a full face, a high nose and long eyes, and a smile on his face. The overall shape is thick and powerful, which is very different from the "praising clothes and belts, thin bones and clear appearance" style of the Northern Wei Dynasty. • Sutra Carving Cave: It pioneered the engraving of Buddhist scriptures in China and is the source of Chinese Buddhist engraving culture. The eight-sided cliff walls in the cave are engraved with four classics, divided into inch-sized characters, totaling tens of thousands of words. Although it has been eroded by wind and rain, it is still difficult to hide its charm. • Changle Temple and Changle Pagoda: Located in the front mountain area of North Xiangtang Mountain, Changle Pagoda is an ancient pagoda of the Song Dynasty, simple and elegant. The headless Buddha statue behind the pagoda is also very distinctive. • Xiangtang Temple: Although newly built, it is magnificent, and there are masters from Mount Wutai inside. South Xiangtang • Huayan Cave: It contains precious ancient stone carvings of the Avatamsaka Sutra, which are important materials for studying Buddhist culture. • Thousand Buddha Cave: It is named for the many Buddha statues in the cave. Its exterior facade is a imitation wood structure. The most beautiful is its lotus caisson ceiling, with eight flying celestial musicians, two in a group, holding musical instruments such as the Konghou, Shengqin, transverse flute, and Pipa.