Huang Song Gou Grottoes, Shanxi Province

Huang Song Gou Grottoes are located on the Huang Sha Ya cliff north of Huang Song Gou Village, Huai Dao Township, Ningwu County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province, China. The grottoes were built on the mountain, facing south, and were excavated during the Ming Dynasty. They still retain the style of the Ming Dynasty. Huang Song Gou Grottoes include two caves, one large and one small. The large cave is 10 meters wide and deep, and 3 meters high. There are two rows of stone pillars in front of the cave, with two pillars in each row. The pillars are carved with dragon patterns. The top of the large cave is decorated with a caisson ceiling, and the door lintel is decorated with imitation wooden brackets. The small cave is 1.65 meters wide, 3 meters deep, and 1.15 meters high. The stone Buddha statues in the two caves have been weathered, leaving only the Buddha altar. According to the inscriptions in the caves, these grottoes were excavated in the sixth year of the Tianshun period of the Ming Dynasty (1462). Huang Song Gou Grottoes are also known as "Dong Wa" or "Luo Shi Dong".