Wanfotang Grottos
China /
Liaoning /
Dalinghe /
World
/ China
/ Liaoning
/ Dalinghe
World / People's Republic of China / Liaoning / Jinzhou
grotto, buddhism
The Wanfotang Grottos 万佛堂石窟 are located on the northern banks of Daling River in Wanfotang Village, nine kilometers northwest of Yixian County 义县, Liaoning Province.
Built in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), the carvings constitute the biggest and oldest grotto group in Northeast China. Divided into two sections, the grotto group has nine grottos in the east and seven in the west. The No.5 Grotto in the west has inscriptions from 499, the period of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The grotto roof was carved with thousands of small Buddha. Among the grottos in the west, the No.1 Grotto is the largest and oldest, although all of its interior carvings have been eroded and can no longer be identified. The No.6 Grotto is very large, but its front has been destroyed, leaving only a cross-legged Buddha statue behind. There are relief sculptures of small Buddha, images of lotus flowers and flying Apsaras carved on the grotto walls and ceilings in the west section.
While the grottos in the east have been severely damaged, there are wall inscriptions about the construction of the grottos from 502 of the Northern Wei Dynasty in the No.5 Grotto providing important records for the study of the early Khitan ethnic group and references for the study of the history of the Wanfotang Grottos.
Built in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), the carvings constitute the biggest and oldest grotto group in Northeast China. Divided into two sections, the grotto group has nine grottos in the east and seven in the west. The No.5 Grotto in the west has inscriptions from 499, the period of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The grotto roof was carved with thousands of small Buddha. Among the grottos in the west, the No.1 Grotto is the largest and oldest, although all of its interior carvings have been eroded and can no longer be identified. The No.6 Grotto is very large, but its front has been destroyed, leaving only a cross-legged Buddha statue behind. There are relief sculptures of small Buddha, images of lotus flowers and flying Apsaras carved on the grotto walls and ceilings in the west section.
While the grottos in the east have been severely damaged, there are wall inscriptions about the construction of the grottos from 502 of the Northern Wei Dynasty in the No.5 Grotto providing important records for the study of the early Khitan ethnic group and references for the study of the history of the Wanfotang Grottos.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 41°34'25"N 121°9'16"E
- Yungang Grottoes 696 km
- Longmen Grottoes Park (Gate of Yi) 1089 km
- West hill grottoes 1089 km
- East hill grottoes 1090 km
- Park Huanglong Scenic Cave 1659 km
- Bingling Temple 1695 km
- Mati Hanging Temples 1796 km
- Zhongdong cave village 2234 km
- Yiling Caves 2385 km
- Thien Tru Temple or Thiên Trù (chùa Ngoài) at Huong Tich temples complex 2747 km
- Yi County, Liaoning 8.4 km
- Liaoning Great Wall (Ming dynasty) 9 km
- Jiudaoling 12 km
- Trace of the Liaoning Great Wall (Ming dynasty) 21 km
- Baishi Reservoir 27 km
- Fosi Reservoir 48 km
- Driver training area 55 km
- Sewage treatment plant 56 km
- Liaoning Great Wall (Ming dynasty) 57 km
- Fuxin Mongol Autonomous County 67 km