Gangu Elephant Mountain is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.
Gangu Elephant Mountain is located on Wenqi Mountain at the western end of Qinling Mountains, 2.5 kilometers southwest of Gangu County. From the stone steps at the foot of the mountain to the top, it has a total length of 1.5 kilometers and covers an area of ??about 640 acres. It is one of the important cultural relics in southeastern Gansu Province on the ancient Silk Road that integrates grottoes and ancient buildings. In 2001, it was announced as a national key site by the State Council. Cultural relic protection unit. There are clusters of pines and junipers on the mountain, with lilacs overflowing with color. Pavilions and pavilions are built along the mountain, and the carved galleries are shaded by green trees. Among the cliffs in the mountain, there is a large cave on the cliff, and inside the cave sits a giant Buddha made of stone and clay. According to research, the Buddhist statues in Gangu can be traced back to the Northern Wei Dynasty, and they have gone through four dynasties for more than 300 years.
The Elephant Mountain Grottoes are one of the eight scenic spots in Gangu. On both sides of the Big Buddha Grotto, there are long corridors built against the mountain, like a belt. The caves and niches on the corridor are connected together and are majestic. There are twenty-two caves and niches in existence, most of which are nearly square in plan. There is a large round arched niche on the front wall, a high altar base, and a Zen cave for monks to practice. This is a special feature of the Elephant Mountain cave niche and is rare in the country.
The Gangu Buddha is a semi-circular stone clay sculpture with a height of 23.3 meters, a shoulder width of 9.5 meters, a head height of 5.8 meters, and a knee length of 6 meters. Its shape is tall and majestic, which makes people look up to it. Its cultural characteristics can be regarded as an artistic masterpiece that perfectly combines Western decorative sculptures and Chinese freehand sculptures.
The grottoes and ancient buildings are built on the cliffs of Wenqi Mountain with undulating hills, green peaks, and majestic cliffs. On the horizontal ridge, there are rows of pavilions, ancestral temples facing each other, and the scenery of the four seasons is distinct. Climbing to the "Baiyun Fengchu" and looking northward at the cave, you can see the Wei River is like a ribbon, smoke waves pouring eastward, the Longhai Railway crosses the east and west, and the Weibei hills are winding and rolling; looking down at the bottom of the mountain, the Tongguang Canal passes along the mountain, with well-organized streets and carpets. . Climbing up the stairs from the foot of the mountain, lilacs are all over the mountains and fields, and the fragrance of flowers is astonishing. Pavilions and palaces are located along the mountains, densely covered in the mountains, and each has its own characteristics. From bottom to top, there are Tudi Temple, Moge Hall, Taihao Palace, Luozhen Hall, Jieyin Buddha Hall, Wenchang Palace, Lingyan Temple, Luban Hall, Guansheng Temple, Wuliang Hall, Shuangming Cave, Great Buddha Hall, and Three Saints Palace and so on. In particular, the majestic Taihao Palace, Wenchang Pavilion, Guansheng Temple, Wuliang Hall, Shuangming Cave, and the Great Buddha Hall are the top attractions. Judging from its combined layout, with Wuliang Hall as the boundary, there are mainly 15 wooden structures below it; above it are mainly the grottoes, with the Great Statue Grotto as the center, with 23 caves, among which there is a large Buddha statue. The most famous. In addition to grottoes and ancient buildings, there are also ruins such as the Weixiao Rest Terrace and the Parade Platform (both in Wuliang Hall) of the Later Han Dynasty, the "Hometown of Xihuang" stele, the "Hometown of Shengmen Shizi" stele, and the "Reconstruction of the Xianghou Temple of Han Ping" stele. cultural relics.
Origin of the name
Daxiang Mountain got its name from the large Buddha statues built on the top of the mountain. The Gangu Buddha is Sakyamuni Buddha. Since Daxiang Mountain was renamed after the Great Buddha, people in the world have been calling it Daxiang Mountain. After in-depth research on the birth, history and allusions of the Buddha, Zhao Puchu, president of the Buddhist Association, believed that the name Elephant Mountain was more accurate based on the legend that Sakyamuni "entered the womb on an elephant". Although there is only one word difference and the same pronunciation, the meaning is far-reaching. From then on, the scenery of Daxiang Mountain was officially named Elephant Mountain. On September 10, 1981, the Gansu Provincial People's Government officially listed the Elephant Mountain Grottoes as a provincial cultural relic protection unit and allocated special funds for maintenance.
Characteristics of the Buddha
From the outside, the Gangu Buddha has both the beard and hair unique to the Gandhara style of early Indian Buddhism and the spiral-shaped hair of the Buddhist statues of the Gupta Dynasty. There are white hairs between the eyebrows, which also show the characteristics of the Northern Zhou Dynasty such as thicker neck, wide and short nose, gentle and graceful facial expression, etc. It also shows the plump face, plump lips, curved eyebrows, and double eyes of the Tang Dynasty. Clear and slightly prominent aesthetic requirements. The large spiral-shaped high bun on the head of the Buddha reflects the historical time and space from the Northern Wei Dynasty to the prosperous Tang Dynasty that the statue spanned. It also left the mark of the times in the subsequent repairs and re-makeovers of the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties. In particular, the short beard on the broad upper lip of the Gangu Buddha is rare in Buddhist statues. The fusion of Chinese and Western cultures can be seen here.
Artistic Modeling
The Gangu Buddha is more than 20 meters high. The area under the feet for people to pay homage is only one meter. However, how to change the position and view from different angles when standing at the feet is satisfactory. Proportion, genial expression. What's so mysterious about it? This is how ancient craftsmen cleverly solved the problem of visual difference when viewing tall statues in a limited position. While solving the problem of visual difference, it is also necessary to solve the issues of scaffolding, modeling and safety.
These must be completed with a scientific attitude and superb artistic skills.
The Gangu Buddha sits on the cliff wall and is excavated 200 meters above the ground. However, no matter viewed from various angles at the bottom of the mountain or inside the cave, it gives people a kind and peaceful feeling. Out of proportion. How was it possible to achieve a perfect unity of technique and look and feel more than a thousand years ago? Mr. Wen Tingkuan, a nationally renowned sculpture artist, discovered the mystery after careful observation.
In 1983, Mr. Wen Tingkuan and Mr. Tan Shutong made a special trip to Gangu, when the niche of the Big Buddha Grotto was being repaired. Regardless of his age and frailty, Mr. Wen climbed onto the scaffolding and climbed to the top of the Buddha's head. After carefully observing it from top to bottom, front and back, left and right. I was surprised to discover the special features of the shaping technique. He concluded: According to normal sculpting techniques for the Buddha's ears, the edge of the upper auricles should be in line with the eyebrows. But the edge of the upper auricle of the Buddha is raised to the top of the Buddha's head and exceeds the hairline. It's more than double the normal ratio. When a person stands below and looks up, the visual position of the upper ear is exactly the proportion of a normal person. But if the ears are shaped according to normal proportions, they will feel like they are falling off. The brow bone is a high protrusion in normal shaping techniques, which makes the eyes look deep. However, the carving of the Buddha's brow is contrary to this. Instead, a deep concave arc groove is carved on the brow position and decorated with ultramarine. Instead, it shows a convex and three-dimensional feeling, which solves the problem. The problem that the materials used in the extra-large statue are easy to fall off has achieved an almost perfect modeling effect; why are the pupils of the Buddha so bright and dazzling that they have not lost their divine light for thousands of years. It turns out that it is made of a large black glazed vat cut in half and embedded in the eye frame, and the position of the vat exceeds the position of the lower eyelid. When viewed from the top of the head, the upper eyelid is higher than the pupil made of the vat, and the pupil protrudes below. The eyelids are very inconsistent with the rules of sculpture, but when standing underneath, the sculpture of the eyes is just like that of a normal person, and the eyes contain the light of kindness, compassion and wisdom. Without such special treatment, the Buddha's nose will droop straightly, forming a huge trapezoidal shape. The Buddha's upper lip will be much higher than the lower lip, while the mandible will sink in. The whole head tilts forward. In all these techniques, the ancients used small samples to scientifically study and calculate the changing rules in advance, and then confidently solved the visual errors caused by the height. Even though there were several major repairs during the Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties, the decoration and paintings were still carried out without changing the original appearance, without losing its original appearance of the Tang Dynasty. Mr. Wen said with emotion that the Gangu Buddha is a national treasure and cultural heritage that deserves special protection.
Introduction to the main attractions
Taiwu Palace
The Fuxi Temple, also known as Taihao Palace, is built on the first platform of Daxiang Mountain in Ganggu. It was built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. There is also a statue of Fuxi in Huagai Temple that was built in the Yuan Dynasty. The "Fuqiang County Chronicle" compiled by Ye Yingjia of the Ming Dynasty said: "The people of the city regarded Benba as the hometown of Fuxi Dusheng, and it was rebuilt to the west of Daxiang Mountain in the 48th year of Wanli." The original temple was destroyed by war in the second year of Tongzhi (1863) and rebuilt in the tenth year of Guangxu (1884).
The gate and main hall of Taihao Palace face south and north. The temple site covers a total area of ??480 square meters. The palace is majestic, sitting on Cangyan Rock, leaning against Daxiang Mountain in the south, and overlooking the Weihe River in the north. It has carved beams and painted buildings. The cornices are colorful, and famous artists put their best efforts into the plaques and couplets. The palace gate is built on heavy steps, with brick and wood structure, archway style, hanging on the top of the mountain, with stacked brackets, and the inscription "Taihao Palace" in regular script is written by Li Weiping, a distinguished official of the Qing Dynasty. There are summer rooms and decorative moon windows on the left and right of the door, and two stone lions in front of the door. Entering the palace gate, there is a moon-shaped door on the left corridor, which is connected to the palace gate. On it is an inscription of "Separate Path" written by Song Zi, who served as a member of Beijing Council in the early Republic of China. Along the left corridor, you can go directly to the mountain. There is a side door leading to the corridor between the main hall and the west building room, with the word "bypass" inscribed on the forehead. There is also a bypass road between the main hall and the east building room, with a winding path leading to the backyard. There are four ancient cypresses and eight golden cypresses inside and outside the palace gate. There is a Bagua pool in the courtyard, which means that Fuxi performed Bagua and benefited future generations. There were originally two statues of Zhao Gongming and Wang Lingguan in the two verandas of the palace gate; the original statue of Fuxi in the main hall, wearing mulberry clothes, holding a Bagua tray in his right hand, sitting upright in a wooden niche in the hall. There are many plaques on the hall, with the words "One Painting Opens the Sky" on the outside, and "The First Ancestor of Humanities" on the inside. Today, only the plaque written by Yang Yaonan, a native of Guangxu County in the Qing Dynasty, "Produced for Eternity" still hangs in the hall. Most of the couplets of Fuxi Palace are lost, but the two couplets written by Haihan, a native of Hanlin City in Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, and Leiguangdian of Guanzhong County, the magistrate of Xuantong County, are still popular today. The Wang couplet is "Shaohuang brings good luck to the emperor. After Mao, Shizi visited Taoism, Bo Yue Huaizhong," Asking about the origin of culture and education, I was enlightened by the Yanhuang Mountains and went up; I looked at the ancient times and felt a sense of tranquility, while below there were fireworks surrounding the neighborhood and mulberry and elm trees covering the shade. Fortunately, I could understand the original scenery and see it again among the rubbles of the Jinge."
The Lei couplet is: "From the time a painting opened the sky, there were words like insect and bird seal scripts and Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures, all bowing their heads in front of the hexagram platform; after the three emperors established their poles, and later discussed the Zhou Wen, the emperors ascended and the kings descended, it was passed down in the annals of history. ". The former first praised Fuxi's achievements in founding civilization far before Shennong, Huangdi, Zhuanxu and Emperor Ku, and that Gangu, the place where it was born, had sages from generation to generation. Shi Zuo Shu "traveled thousands of miles to study in Lu", and Jiang Wei "received the great support of the army as a lonely minister who was in charge of the journey. He was able to be loyal, diligent and courageous, lived in a peaceful situation, and restored the merits of the weak expedition." Secondly, he lamented that the wars have subsided and was glad that the peaceful life in ancient times can be seen again today; the latter praised Fuxi for bringing about civilization, even Cangjie's creation of Chinese characters and Sakyamuni's founding of religion were far incomparable; as for establishing codes for the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors , shows the standard, which extends as far as the simple Shang Dynasty, the elegant Zhou Dynasty, and the following dynasties and five dynasties, all benefited from it, and it is evident in the history books.
Since 1994, Fuxi Hall has been renovated. The main hall is 124 square meters wide and 8 meters high. It hangs on the top of the mountain and is decorated with carved owls. The strong ridges are all connected by flowers. In the center of the horizontal ridge is a galloping dragon and horse. The two sides are composed of flowers, dragons, unicorns, horses, deers, birds, elephants and lions. The pottery Tai Chi pattern in the center of the flowers is particularly unique. Regardless of the floor tiles, doors and windows, offering tables, plaques or animal kisses in the main hall, the image of the Bagua Tai Chi diagram is displayed everywhere. The platform in the middle of the main hall is 1 meter high, 3.33 meters wide and 1.93 meters deep. On it sits a statue of Fuxi remodeled by the famous female sculptor He E. It is 2.6 meters high and sits with its legs apart on the upper stone. (There is a stone in the middle of the Wei River in the northeast of Guatai, which stands tall and tall. The county people said: "The stone is also a distraction". It says: "The stone is close to the Wei, and the Wei is divided into rivers"). It seems like observing the changes in the heaven and earth. The upper body is covered with mulberry clothes, and the waist is surrounded by tiger skin. The two hands are used to perform the Eight Diagrams in the style of "the unity of heaven and earth", forming a move that can turn the world around. The pelvis is exposed, the temperament is strong, the eyes are straight, and the spirit is high. On the right side is a sculpture of a dragon and horse, as if it is about to leap from the top of a huge wave. The east wall mural shows Nuwa practicing stone patching of the sky, and the west wall depicts Fuxi performing the Eight Diagrams. The seated figure in the middle is backlit, which is a realistic painting of the ancient wind tower where Fuxi was born. The top is painted with sixty-four hexagrams and two pictures of river and Luo. There are eight trigram windows on both sides, with hexagram lines painted around them. On the west is the Fuxi Bagua diagram, and on the east is the Wenwang Bagua diagram, which is the Houtian Bagua diagram. Hanging on the front eaves of the main hall are four large gold plaques with wooden carvings around them, inscribed by Zhao Puchu with the inscription "The First Ancestor of Humanity", "One Painting to Open the Sky", Shu Tong's personal inscription "Open the Sky to Mingdao", and Li Quan's inscription "According to Heaven and Earth". Eight dragon flags are erected in front of the eaves. The flags are painted with dragon-shaped patterns from the Neolithic Age to the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, Warring States, Qin and Han, Jin, Sui and Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.
There are different opinions about Fuxi’s birthplace. Zhang Qiyun and Lu Mei'e's "Human Geography Map of Gansu Province" in the Republic of China, Chapter 20 "Historical Places and Monuments" says: "Daxiang Mountain Fuxi Temple: The mountain is five miles southwest of Gangu, with steep cliffs that stand dangerously tall, about 200 meters high. It is said that Fuxi was from Gangu and grew up in this ravine. During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, a temple was built at the foot of the mountain to worship him." Jia Hongkui compiled An Luxiang's "Gangu County Chronicles" and added Fuxi's annotation: "There is a village named Gufengtai in the south mountain of Gangu. The villagers said it was the place where the emperor's ancestor brother lived. Since the surname was named after the place, it is not known; and Gu said that the people of Gufengtai Village were good at weaving chicken covers, and the shape of the chicken covers resembled the Eight Diagrams. Xun said that people did not do it but did it. Although the saying is unexperienced, there is no reason."
Yongming Temple
Yongming Temple is located south of Lingyan Temple, on the platform in Shifu Valley. It is located from southeast to northwest, dominating the mountains. All buildings are distributed on a stepped platform. The facilities are laid out like a regular temple, consisting of the mountain gate, the Tianwang Hall, the Zhaitang, the living room, the second floor of bells and drums, the Thirteenth Patriarch Hall, and Jialan. It consists of the Main Hall, the Main Hall and the Sutra Collection Building, with a total area of ??4,224 square meters. The mountain gate of the temple has a side-by-side conjoined arch-shaped archway roof. On the forehead of the middle gate are handwritten words "Yongshi Temple" written by Zhao Puchu, President of the Chinese Buddhist Association, and a couplet written by Master Mingyang, Vice President of the Chinese Buddhist Association, "Winds and moons are boundless, not a speck of dust can reach the Bodhi Land, mountains and rivers surround Wan Shan Tong" Return to Prajna Heaven." The door heads on both sides are copied from the inscription of the local celebrity Stanley Ho during the Republic of China. Walking into the mountain gate, you will see the Heavenly King's Hall, which is 9 meters high, 14 meters long and 10 meters wide. The top is built with slopes on all sides and is decorated with glazed ridges and animals. The structure is a single-overhanging eaves surrounded by 16 corridors, with a chessboard window. Opposite, with front and back connected, the hall is enshrining the big-bellied Maitreya Buddha, 1.8 meters tall, stepping on hungry ghosts, with a majestic look and angry Vajra eyes. On the left are the Eastern Heavenly King Tarozha holding a sword and the Southern Heavenly King Piruli holding a pipa. On the right are the Western Heavenly King Pirubosha holding a sword and umbrella and the Northern Heavenly King Bishamon holding a dragon. They are also responsible for observing the good and evil of all living beings and maintaining the sanctity of the Three Jewels of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.
Behind the Maitreya Buddha, stands the golden Veituo Bodhisattva, 2.2 meters tall, holding a precious pestle in his hand to protect the safety of the temple and practitioners. Leaving the Tianwang Hall and heading south, there are eight symmetrical hard-roofed brick and wood structure guest halls on both sides, a dining hall and a second floor with square bells and drums on the top of the compound-eaves tower. A three-legged and three-story Baoding incense burner with a height of 3.9 meters is placed between the guest and dining halls. Then go up the 38th stone staircase, and on the right is the Thirteenth Patriarch Hall, which contains a seated clay statue of the Thirteenth Patriarch, 1.1 meters high. On the left is the Jialan Hall, which contains four seated statues, all 1.5 meters high. The two halls face each other, with five rooms each. The roof of the hall is made of hard mountain, and the horizontal ridges are decorated with pottery flowers and animal kisses. In the center of the two halls, there is also a 3.9-meter-high three-legged and three-story tripod incense burner. The Thirteen Patriarchs are the thirteen masters of the Pure Land Sect from Master Huiyuan, the first ancestor of the Jin Dynasty to Master Yinguang of the Qing Dynasty. Jialan is an Indian name, and in China it is called a temple. The four seated statues enshrined in the temple are for the Solitary Man, Prince Jituo, King Bosni, and Guan Yu (Chinese Jialan). They are all monasteries, which also reflects the fact of the integration of Chinese and Western Buddhism. Facing the main hall is the Main Hall, which is located in the southeast. It is majestic and majestic. The hall is 12 meters high, 19.8 meters wide and 16 meters deep. The top is made of a hanging mountain and is paved with glazed ridges, making it dazzling. The ridge and kiss are double-sided carvings, the horizontal ridge is decorated with two dragons and two deer playing with orbs, and the vertical ridge is decorated with lotus branches. In the middle of the hall, there are clay and gold statues of three Buddhas and two disciples. They are majestic, kind and respectable. The three Buddhas all sit cross-legged on the vajra throne, which is 2.7 meters high and 1.7 meters wide. The seat is 1.45 meters high and 2.2 meters wide. The northern lights are all carved in wood with flame patterns, 3.7 meters high and 2.9 meters wide. In the middle is Sakyamuni Buddha, holding a golden bowl in his hand. On the left is Medicine Master Glazed Light Buddha, with glass treasures hanging on his hands. On the right is Amimi Buddha, holding a golden platform with both hands. Two disciples put their hands together and stand on both sides of Sakyamuni Buddha. , 2.7 meters high, the elder is Venerable Kassapa, and the young one is Venerable Ananda. There are nine clay sculptures of Arhats on the east and west walls of the hall, with the same height of 1.75 meters and different postures, lifelike. They are outstanding disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha. They all have special skills and practice good deeds. On the Xumizuo on both sides of the back of the hall, there are clay statues of Manjushri Bodhisattva sitting on a lion and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva with white horns. The Bodhisattva is 2 meters high, and the lion and white elephant are each 1.95 meters long. Behind the three Buddhas stands Guanyin Bodhisattva, 2.4 meters high, carved from Burmese white marble. The Good Fortune Boy and the Dragon Girl are clay sculptures, 21 meters high, 16.6 meters wide at the bottom and 20 meters deep. In addition to a large number of scriptures, white marble Buddha and Bodhisattva statues donated by Myanmar are also placed in layers.
There is no exact historical record of when Yongming Temple in Daxiang Mountain was founded. It was rebuilt in 1992. It is the permanent residence of the Three Treasures of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. It is also a place for Buddhist practice in Gangu and a tourist attraction. .
Thousand Buddha Cave
Thousand Buddha Cave is dug into a steep cliff with only a small cave for people to enter and exit. Entering the cave, you will face a smiling Maitreya Buddha sitting there. People who pass by here must first bow and then reach out to touch the round belly of Maitreya Buddha in order to keep smiling.
Going inside is a large stone hall. There are many Buddhas in the middle. Some sit like a rock, some lie down like a horizontal cloud, some stand silently, some fly lightly, some complain, some recite, and some smile without showing. They all have kind eyebrows and kind eyes, and their postures are very different, and they are full of atmosphere. The four walls are painted with Buddhist biographies, karma and life stories. There is a lot of incense in front of the Buddhist niche. Whenever tourists and pilgrims kneel down to worship, the elderly monks on the side will knock out the sound of Qingyue's alms bowl, which makes people feel at ease. Walking further inside, you turn through several stone-cut corridors, and another scene flashes before your eyes. This is the Yama Hall of the Ten Halls of Hell. Along both sides of the cave door, there are four ferocious ghost soldiers standing respectively: bull head, horse face, black and white, and impermanence, which make people shudder. The four walls of the cave are painted with various criminal laws of the underworld, which are extremely cruel.
Fuxi Temple
Daxiang Mountain Fuxi Temple was built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty and is located at the foothills of Daxiang Mountain. "Fuqiang County Annals: Construction" written by Yeats and other Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty states: Fuxi Temple was built in the Wanli year BC. At the foot of Daxiang Mountain. According to the "Gansu Local Chronicles: Important Urban Scenic Spots and Historic Sites in Gansu Province" written by the Republic of China, the Fuxi Temple on the Big Rockery reads: The mountain is five miles southwest of Gangu, with steep cliffs that stand dangerously tall. It is about 200 feet high. According to legend, Fuxi was from Gangu. It grew up in this ravine, and during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, a temple was built at the foot of the mountain to worship it. In the Qing Dynasty, the temple was moved to Daxiang Mountain and Taihao Palace was built next to the Big Buddha Grotto to worship Fuxi. The original "Xihuang Hometown" stone tablet in Xiwulipu County has now been moved to Daxiang Mountain.
Wang Haihan, a former Jinshi of the Qing Dynasty and editor of the Hanlin Academy, once wrote two long couplets for Taihao Palace:
One
From one painting to the sky, what can you say about insect calligraphy and bird seal script, Van Gogh Buddhist scriptures, all bowed their heads in front of the hexagram platform;
Following the establishment of the Three Emperors, watching the rise of later emperors and the fall of kings, discussing Zhou Wen, and seeing the passing of hearts in the annals of history.
Two
The Emperor Shao brought good fortune, and later Shizi visited Taoism, Bo asked about Huaizhong, and inquired about the origin of culture and education, and he was enlightened in Yanhuang Zhuan;
< p>Looking up at the sky, you can feel the tranquility. Below, there are fireworks surrounding the place, mulberry trees and elm trees providing shade, and a beautiful and beautiful scenery. Seen again among the rubble of Jin Ge.Wenchang Pavilion
There are many Wenchang Pavilions in Gangu County, but the Wenchang Pavilion in Daxiang Mountain is the largest. Walk slowly along the Daxiangshan Temple trail for about 300 steps to the Wenchang Pavilion. The building area of ??Wenchang Pavilion is 182.9 square meters, and the total area is 260.9 square meters. There are twenty-four stone steps in front of the pavilion door. At the head of the door, there are three characters "Xiaoyoumen" carved in seal script carved on bricks. On both sides, "The pavilion is lingbi with the characters welcoming the morning breeze, and the door faces the Zhushan Mountain reflecting the sunset." Brick-engraved official script couplets date from the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. It was written by Song Yanzhen, a famous scholar in the county. There is a tiger skin screen wall on the right side of the door, facing south. On the wall is embedded the three characters "Luoxiayan" written by Wei Xuewen (the name of the book is Yu) in a delicate and soft font. The Wenchang Tower stands in the courtyard. It is a hexagonal pavilion with double eaves and door posts. It is divided into upper and lower floors and has a brick and wood structure. There are painted buildings and walls under the eaves of the upper floor, and their patterns are full of realism. There are five paintings and calligraphy on the walls of the corridor in front of the lower eaves. Among them, bamboo and orchid grass were painted by He Xiaofeng, the name of Tianshui; in addition, Wu Kexiong, a calligrapher from the county, wrote in cursive: "Monk robes are hung in the Zen room on the top of the mountain, and there are no shortage of streams and birds flying outside the window. On the way down the mountain at dusk, I hear the sound of the spring falling in love with the faint green." Wei Xuewen's official script "Preface to Orchid Pavilion"; another painting "Magpies Making Plum Blossoms" was painted by Ma, a cadre of Li County Cultural Center. The roof of the building is made of six ridges with pointed peaks, and there are owls. 0. It is 10. meters high and covers an area of ??33.5 square meters. The balcony is made of brick Xumizuo. Upstairs there is an old clay sculpture of Emperor Wenchang and a long couplet written by Wang Quan, a native of Qing Dynasty: "The emperor sat facing the three peaks. At this time, there were Eqian stone drums, Hong Zhuti groups, and Chongxiao Road in front of the eaves, and the star pond covered everything. , Look at the qi moistening the pearls, the Hunlianbifu, and the five-color clouds frequently appear under the list." Downstairs, there is a newly-sculpted Wenchang Emperor in 1944.
Wenchang Pavilion was built at the end of the Han Dynasty. In the early days, it only had a building, an east pavilion, a corridor from north to southwest, and two ancient cypresses in the courtyard. In the second year of Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1863), when the Hui people rebelled against the Qing Dynasty, the pavilions were completely destroyed. An ancient cypress in the southeast corner of the pavilion now survived after half of its bark was burned. During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, the pavilion and the southeast building were rebuilt. The inner walls are embedded with the "Inscription of the Founding of the Wenchang Pavilion of the Wenchang Pavilion in Daxiang Mountain" written by Wang Quan, a native of the city in the 28th year of Guangxu's reign (1902). In the 15th year of the Republic of China (1926), the south wing was added. It has a rolling shed roof and a brick and wood structure. It is divided into two floors. The bottom floor is the underground storage room and the upper floor is the monk's room. There are windows on the left and right sides of the back wall. There are woodcut couplets on both sides of the door, inscribed by Song Yanzhen, a famous person in the county during the Republic of China, and seal script couplets by his son Song Zi: "The building structure has several rafters, and the windows are open on three sides and there are many understandings." On the forehead of the door of the inner ear chamber are the characters "*** Xingxuan" and "Tongdi Seat". In the central Buddhist pavilion are wooden carvings of the "Three Saints of the West" (Amitabha in the middle, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva on the left, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva on the right). . The entire building of Wenchang Pavilion is laid out in a four-part enclosed courtyard. The East Pavilion, North Corridor and Xiyu all have windows, allowing you to overlook the Weichuan scenery. When you go out of the back door, there are three characters "jishangtai" on your forehead, and it leads to the corridor.
The Temple of Wealth
Couplet:
You only have a few pennies, so you beg him and give it to someone else
Don’t do anything , it’s hard for me to come and pay homage in the morning and evening
Guansheng Temple
Guansheng Temple is halfway up the mountain. In the courtyard, there are dark green, thick ancient cypresses and towers filled with fireworks. . The elderly pilgrims were prostrating themselves in front of the shrine in the main hall, and the old fortune-teller sat silently on his pony, basking in the warm sun. At this moment, time is as slow and long as the wind blowing through the mountains. Only the white pigeons stopped intermittently at the corners of the eaves, cooing leisurely, and then jumped up and down into the mountain stream after a few flips. Standing in front of the fence facing Kawachi outside the temple, you can have an unobstructed view of Gangu City in the distance. This city, raised on the ground of the Wei River Valley, is set against the blue sky and is extremely dazzling in the winter. Farther away lies the vast Loess Plateau, with its orange edges tying up the slender river like a wriggling yarn. But no matter how big or small the Wei River is, it flows freely on the flat land, day and night.
Shuangming Cave
Shuangming Cave, commonly known as Yaowang Cave, is located in the west of Daxiang Cave and above Sunbin Cave. There is a hole at the top of the stairs, through which you can reach the palace cave. The cave is 16 meters long, and the words "In this mountain" are written on the front of the door. When people come here, the scene blends together, poetry, philosophy, and calligraphy blend together, making it full of fun.
The calligraphy is written by Li Zeguang, a famous scholar from the Qing Dynasty in this county. The cave faces the northeast and originally had Buddha statues on its three walls. The wall in front of the cave is built with two windows, like two eyes, hence the name Shuangming Cave. The cave was converted from a natural cave and is about 8 meters high, 9 meters deep and 17 meters wide, with a total area of ??172 square meters. "Fuqiang County Chronicles" written by Gong Jianfeng in the Qing Dynasty records: "Shuangming Cave, on the west top of the Giant Buddha, is the most dangerous place to steal the light. The villagers dug rocks into niches, built wooden pavilions for pavilions, and sparse windows inside to reach the caves. Visitors climb through the caves. Looking at it, it also looks like a mountain scenery." According to Ye Yingjia's "Youqiang County Chronicles" at that time: "There are Shuangming Cave on the left, connected from front to back." It can be seen that the early access to Daxiang Peak was along the back pavilion of Shuangming Cave. As you walk along the road, you will see Shuangming Cave and a resting cave. The time when the Buddha Grotto was built should also be earlier than that of the Statue Grotto. Now from the back of the cave to the window of the statue cave, the traces of the pavilion passage are still faintly visible. The plank road under the cave should have been built after the statue cave was dug. Shuangming Cave is also the earliest cave built in Daxiang Mountain.
In Shuangming Cave, there were 17 original clay statues, which were destroyed in the "0". The existing statues were remodeled according to their original appearance in 1994. The main niche is dedicated to the three sacred statues of Huayan. In the middle is Sakyamuni The Buddha is sitting on the Vajra throne in lotus position, with his hands applying Dharma seals. On the left is Manjushri Bodhisattva sitting on the back of a lion, and on the right is Samantabhadra Bodhisattva sitting on the white body of the statue. They are both placed on the 4.7-meter-high and 7-meter-wide Buddha. Inside the pavilion, the three holy statues are 2.53 meters high. Outside the Yaowang Hall in the left niche is a brick-wood structure with a hard top, decorated with kisses, and a plaque with the inscription: Commemoration of the unveiling of the Yaowang Cave statue in Daxiang Mountain, Gangu County, Gansu Province. The book "His virtues and skills are wonderful and nourishes the world, and his wisdom and wisdom are passed down through the ages." Under the title: Shaanxi Yaoxian County Yaowangshan Museum, China Yuewangshan Sun Simiao Research Society, April 28, 1994. In the center of the hall is dedicated the King of Medicine, Sun Simiao. The statue is 1.75 meters high, sitting on the body of a tiger, holding a medicine box in his right hand. The left hand holds the dragon's jaw, as if the dragon is about to be treated with an acupuncture needle. The medicine boy standing on the right is 1.2 meters tall, holding a medicine box in both hands. On the left and right sides are sculptures of ten famous doctors, Cang Gong, Di Zhongjing, Huang Fumi, Tao Hongjing, Zhang Jiebin, Bian Que, Hua Tuo, Wang Shuhe, Ge Hong and Li Shizhen. The statues are all seated, with the same height of 1.3 meters. Each of the three small niches on the right side of the cave has a single statue. From left to left: the spiritual official is sitting on the altar, looking down, blowing his beard and getting angry, with his right hand raising a whip, and his left hand holding a whip. Brick, the statue is 1.33 meters high; General Ma San rides a black donkey, with delicate bones and clear features, exquisite and vivid, 0.8 meters high, the statue was sculpted in 1980; 0 is the standing statue, 2 meters high, holding a law enforcement stick, strong and powerful .
The platform in front of the cave has an external protrusion of 1.3 meters, a length of 10 meters, and a reinforced concrete structure. A wooden structure is built on top of it. It is built on a hill, with sloping horns and a top decorated with animal kisses.
Shuangming Cave played an important role in the early construction of the Zen caves in the Daxiang Mountain Grottoes. Without the existence of this natural cave, it would be difficult to build the Daxiang Mountain Grottoes and both sides. grotto.
Sleeping Buddha Cave
Sleeping Buddha Cave is located on the east side of Sanxingfu, Lu and Shou caves. North facing, rectangular in plan. The front wall is close to the upper right corner of the small Zen cave and has a bright window. The lotus-leaf Guanyin statue was remodeled in the Qing Dynasty, using highly exaggerated techniques to create a quiet, kind and leisurely Guanyin Bodhisattva, half-lying on a lotus leaf. The statue exceeds Buddhist norms and is half lying on its back. The artist used clay to create a lifelike statue of a god revered by the working people.