September Travel Recommendation: Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes | A mountain, a history.

| A mountain, a history. Tianlongshan Grottoes is located in the southwest of Tianlong Mountain, Jinyuan District, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province. It was first excavated in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and then excavated in the Eastern Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, Tang and other dynasties. There are 25 existing caves, which are located between the cliffs of the two peaks in the east and west. In the early 1920s, under the guidance of Japanese businessmen, the Tianlongshan Grottoes were severely stolen, and most of the heads of the caves were almost stolen, and some of the exquisite statues were even stolen to Japan and other countries. Now go to the Tokyo National Museum and the Nezu Museum in Japan, you can see a large number of exhibited Tianlongshan Grottoes Buddha statues and Buddha heads. The Nezu Museum has also used the Tianlongshan Buddha head as a gift to European and American countries. 🔺Main attractions [1] Gao Huan Summer Palace→Bailong Cave Tianlong Mountain is a well-deserved summer resort. Stay in the Summer Palace, look at Tianlong Mountain, the summer breeze is slow, and enjoy the comfort of nature. There is Feng Yuxiang's handwritten inscription near Bailong Cave, feeling the patriotic feelings of the revolutionary martyrs. [2] West Peak Grottoes→East Peak Grottoes It is the essence of Tianlong Mountain. Seeing the grottoes is shocking and sighing, we should be self-improving! The excavation of the grottoes has gone through the Eastern Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, Tang, and Later Jin dynasties, a total of more than 400 years, reflecting the different styles of grotto art in my country from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Five Dynasties. Among them, there are 8 caves in the east peak and 13 caves in the west peak, a total of 21 caves. There are 500 large and small Buddha statues, and a total of 1644 statues with relief portraits. Most of the existing ones have been destroyed by foreign invaders and countless have been lost overseas. [3] Tianlong Temple→National Treasure Museum ✔️Tianlong Temple was built in the first year of Huangjian in the Northern Qi Dynasty (560). It still preserves cultural relics and historical sites such as the Northern Qi stone stele pavilion, late Tang clay sculpture, early Ming wooden structure, Northern Han to Qing Dynasty stele, tomb pagoda and stone building components. There are two damaged Tang Dynasty clay sculptures of strong men on both sides of the mountain gate, which are praised by Qian Shaowu, a famous Chinese sculptor, as "the first seated strong man in Chinese sculpture". In summer, the Panlong pine on the side of the door is lush and spectacular. ✔️National Treasure Museum On July 24, 2021, the "8th Cave North Wall Main Buddha Head" of Tianlongshan Grottoes, which had been lost overseas for nearly a century, finally returned to its homeland. The returned Buddha head is 44.5 cm high and 33.7 cm wide. It is the first lost cultural relic of Tianlongshan Grottoes that has been recovered from Japan in nearly a hundred years. [4] Tianlong Mountain Internet Celebrity Highway Surrounded by mountains, twists and turns, it is excellent for taking pictures and checking in. 🕙Ticket sales time: 9:00-16:30 🕙Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 🎫Ticket price: 25💰/person Tianlongshan Grottoes