The grottoes are 1 kilometers to the east from the famous Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui and 4 kilometers to the Shuilian Grottoes in Wushan in the west. Because of their geographical proximity and the same long-term historical background, the three grottoes have influenced and merged with each other, forming the unique style and system of Buddhist grottoes in eastern Gansu.
Gangu Daxiangshan is located in Gangu County, Tianshui City, away from Wuhuali, the county seat. There is a mountain that looks like a flag and looks like a dragon. It used to be called Wenqi, but now it is called Daxiangshan. The mountains are covered with pines and lilacs, pavilions and pavilions are built by the mountains, and carved galleries are shaded by green trees. Between the cliffs in the mountains, there is a big cave on the cliff, in which sits a giant Buddha with a stone tire and clay sculpture. According to textual research, the plastic Buddha statues in Gangu can be traced back to the Northern Wei Dynasty, and have experienced four dynasties for more than 3 years.
Gangu has a very rich cultural accumulation. According to the staff of the Cultural Bureau of Gangu County, the painted pottery bottle with the face of the giant fish unearthed from Yangshao Cultural Site in Neolithic Age shows the Chinese totem-the prototype of the dragon, and the Ganbao Han bamboo slips listed as one of the "Four Great Han Bamboo Slips", the exquisite stone Buddha statues of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the statue tower and the luxurious and romantic Tang Tri-color style first pot; From Fuxi, the ancestor of humanity admired by all people, Shi Zuoshu, a disciple of Confucius, one of the seventy-two sages, and Jiang Wei, a general of Shu and Han Dynasties, to Gong Jianfeng, a scholar of Hanlin, who is "clean and clean", all of them reflect the long history of Gangu culture and reflect the diligence and wisdom of Gangu people. Business here has been active since ancient times. During the Han and Tang Dynasties, it was an important business town of the ancient Silk Road. In the Song Dynasty, it was known as the "tea-horse city" and enjoyed the reputation of "home of business travel".
Three major landscapes
According to the Records of History of Gangu, the cultural attractions in Gangu can be roughly divided into three categories: grotto landscape, human landscape and natural landscape. According to their distribution, they can be summarized by "one outline and two lines", namely, the long outline of ancient Hebei culture, the scenic tourist line of Shigushan and the tourist line of ancient ruins in Lixin Town.
The "long profile of ancient Ji culture" mainly includes many sites, such as Caijia Temple, Weishuiyu Site, Nanshan Temple and Maojiaping Site, which are distributed along the Weihe River with Daxiangshan as the center. The scenic tourist route of Shigu Mountain includes Jianshan Temple Forest Park, Gupo Haitan Temple, Jiudun Ranch and Shigu Mountain. The tourist route of Lixin town ancient site includes the emerging Yaozhong memorial site, Guansi blue brick archway and Lixin town site.
wenqi mountain is a remnant vein at the western end of Qinling mountains, which runs east-west. The mountain is tall and straight, beautiful and majestic. Wenqi Mountain echoes Boji Mountain on the east side, collectively known as Qigu Mountain. Wenqi Mountain is called the Great Buddha Temple because of a 27.3-meter-high Buddha statue carved on the cliff at its top, which is one of the eight scenic spots in Gangu County. A folk song says, "There is a big Buddhist temple in the Buddha's hometown, which creaks against the blue sky." Gangu county is called "cliff elephant" in the eight scenic spots.
On both sides of the Giant Buddha Cave, there are long corridors, such as the same belt, along the mountain. The grottoes on the corridor are connected, majestic and spectacular. There are 22 grottoes, most of which are nearly square in plane. There is a large circular arch niche and a high altar base on the main wall, and there is a Zen cave where monks practice. This is a special feature of the Daxiangshan Cave niche, which is also rare in the country.
"Ride like an elephant into the womb"
There are pavilions on the Hengshan Mountain in Daxiangshan, facing each other. Climb up from the foot of the mountain, pass the Wei Tuo Hall, and then cross the Feizhan Pavilion Road to the highest place, the Three Temples, with a stone inscription on it: "White Cloud Seal". The buildings with pavilions and temples on the mountains are built on the mountain, densely covered with mountains, with pavilions and courtyards, and climbed up one by one. There are Mo Zhai Hall, Fuxi Hall and Luban Hall. According to legend, the Luban Hall was built by piecing together the remaining pieces of wood into a beam frame after the completion of the Daxiangshan building. The structure of the hall is ingenious, exquisite and original, which fully shows the exquisite architectural skills. The grottoes are listed to the left and right with the elephant grottoes as the center. There are seven grottoes on the west side, and there are fourteen grottoes on the east side. There are long corridors connecting the grottoes on both sides of the Giant Buddha grottoes according to the mountain situation.
Since Daxiangshan was renamed as a giant Buddha, the world has been calling it Daxiangshan. Mr. Zhao Puchu, the former president of the Chinese Buddhist Association, believed that it was more accurate to name it Daxiangshan according to the legend of "being born in an elephant" by Sakyamuni. Although there is only one word difference and homophony, it has far-reaching significance, and it has been officially named Daxiangshan since then. Daxiangshan is a place where literati of past dynasties went to visit the victory and wrote poems to praise it. Every year, there is a temple fair on April 8 of the lunar calendar, with an endless stream of tourists and extraordinary excitement. Climbing the mountain to the north, the Weihe River flows eastward, railways and highways cross Weichuan and Tongji Canal, and the hills in the north of Weihe River are vast, with beautiful and spectacular scenery. On September 1th, 1981, the People's Government of Gansu Province officially listed the Daxiangshan Grottoes as provincial cultural relics protection units, and allocated special funds for maintenance.
The temple has been built for a long time
It was popular to practice Zen by digging caves during the Northern Dynasties in China. The Daxiangshan Grottoes can at least provide some clues for studying the development of Buddhist sects in northern China. According to historical records, the statues of the Gangu Giant Buddha Grottoes can be traced back to the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the specific age is no longer available. The existing Buddha statue of Sakyamuni was carved in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and it didn't become perfect until the prosperous Tang Dynasty. The giant Buddha is made of clay with a stone tire, with a height of 23.3 meters and a waist width of 1.4 meters. It is tall, burly, docile and kind, sitting in a 3-meter-high grotto and lifelike.
according to historical records, the large-scale opening of the daxiangshan grottoes started from Yao and Qin, and Buddhist activities prevailed after the northern dynasties and flourished in the Tang dynasty. There is a saying in Yongming Temple in Daxiangshan, Gangu: "Longyou is close to Guanzhong, with five cool lapels. Buddhism prevailed in Yucheng during the Yao, Qin and Northern Zhou Dynasties. And Shaanxi is the only place to come to Wulong Gangu. If the grotto is better than Maiji Cliff, the Great Xiangshan Mountain should be in Dunhuang from a distance without being inferior, and since 2, the monk Dade has spread the victory and spread the story to the southeast. "
daxiangshan is not only famous for its giant buddhas and ancient buildings, but also unique in that every time around the "Buddha Bathing Festival" on April 8 in the ancient calendar, lilacs all over the mountains are in full bloom, and their fragrance is beneficial to people. In the temple, the chimes of Brahma bells, the curling of cigarettes, the devotion of wooden fish, the sound of Buddha's name, and the brilliance of God. Merchants and tourists come here, adding another landscape to the famous mountains in Longshang. In the Song Dynasty, Taiping Universe recorded: "There is an elephant on the cliff, which is nine feet long. From the top of the mountain to the foot of the mountain, there is a pavilion road to pedal, which has been a scenic spot since ancient times. " During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, religious activities in Daxiangshan were more prosperous, with Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism coexisting, each building caves and temples. Tourists keep coming at four o'clock, especially at the Buddha Bathing Festival on April 8 every year. Tens of thousands of tourists take part in the spring outing, which is very lively. Daxiangshan Grottoes, with its rich and beautiful natural landscape and Chinese cultural landscape, have become an indispensable part of the three main grottoes in southeastern Gansu Province.
"Cliff Elephant"
Different from many domestic grottoes, the Daxiangshan grottoes are all carved on cliffs about 3 meters above the ground. Including elephant library, sleeping Buddha cave, etc.
The Elephant Cave, also known as Cave 6, is the main cave of the Daxiangshan Grottoes. The giant Buddha statue with stone tire and clay sculpture in the cave is a rare and precious cultural relic among the large-scale statues in China. Judging from the sleek, smooth, plump and delicate characteristics of the sculpture technique, it should be a work in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Song, Ming and Qing dynasties had maintenance, heavy makeup and hanging colors. There are more than 7 small niches on the peripheral wall of the grottoes, in front of which there are hanging plastic figurines such as King Kong, White Crane Boy and Face Bird. The eaves of the Elephant Cave were originally a three-eave pavilion with wooden structure, but they have collapsed after years of wind and rain erosion. Now, the arch-shaped niche lintel was built with state funding in 1985. In the same year, the damaged parts such as the hands, feet and clothes lines below the knee of the Buddha were repaired. Such a huge statue is the only one in all grottoes in eastern Gansu. It is the only giant Buddha in the Tang Dynasty in the Weihe River basin and the highest statue in China. It fills the deficiency of Tang Dynasty statues in this area. Most of the other grottoes are nearly square in plane, and many caves are Zen caves with monk's rooms. These Buddhist caves, which are dominated by monks, are rare among the grottoes in the mainland.
The Sleeping Buddha Cave is located on the east side of the three-star Fu, Lu and Shou caves. North, plane rectangle. The front wall is close to the upper right corner of the small Zen Cave. In the Qing Dynasty, the Guanyin statue of lotus leaves was remolded, and a statue of Guanyin bodhisattva, which was quiet, kind and carefree, was created by highly exaggerated means. Statue beyond Buddhist norms, lost half lying. The artist used mud to create a lifelike statue of god admired by the working people.