The art of cave temples between the sea and the mountains

Mount Tuo and Mount Yunmen are both famous mountains in Qingzhou, Shandong. Both mountains are located not far southwest of Qingzhou city center, standing opposite each other. Both mountains have cave temples built around the same time, and they are part of the same national protected unit entry as two sub-projects. Both mountains are over 400 meters high, with roughly the same elevation. In terms of climbing difficulty, Mount Tuo is relatively steep, while Mount Yunmen is comparatively gentle, with climbing times ranging from half an hour to about an hour. The two mountains are quite far apart, and there was a cable car service, but it has not been open recently, so you need to take a taxi or drive there. 👍Most recommended: Mount Tuo is named for its resemblance to a camel lying down when viewed from a distance. On the southern cliff halfway up the mountain, there are 5 cave temples and 1 cliff carving from the Northern Zhou to the Sui and Tang dynasties. The largest among them, Cave No. 3, carved in the late Northern Zhou period, has a 6.5-meter-tall Amitabha Buddha statue at the front, with a full face and robust body, wearing a double-collared cascading robe, exuding great beauty. The Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva on both sides also have a strong Northern Dynasties style. 📝Note tips: Several cave temples on Mount Tuo are covered with protective wire mesh because the caves face west to east. In the strong morning sunlight, the shadows of the wire mesh are clearly cast on the Buddha statues, significantly affecting the photo quality of the statues. Compared to Mount Tuo, Mount Yunmen is more famous and attracts more visitors. The most famous site here is the huge character for 'longevity' at the top of the mountain, which has become a must-visit spot for blessings. The Yunmen Mountain cave temples are located on the sunny side of the mountain that bears the 'longevity' character. The condition of these caves is not as good as those on Mount Tuo, with 5 large caves and several small niches, housing a total of 270 statues of various sizes. Most of the statues here are relatively intact, but their heads have been damaged. Additionally, among the cliffs and near the caves of Mount Yunmen, there are many inscriptions by literati from various dynasties, with well-preserved characters. The Yunmen cave in the middle of Mount Yunmen connects both sides and offers a distant view of the entire Qingzhou city, making it a worthwhile spot for sightseeing and lingering.