The human history of Tianlong Mountain began in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. During the Eastern Wei Dynasty, Gao Huan, the great prime minister, built the Summer Palace and dug grottoes in Tianlong Mountain, which opened the historical prelude of the Buddhist history in Tianlong Mountain. After nearly 1500 years of development and evolution, the scenic spot has accumulated rich cultural heritage, among which the most amazing is the exquisite grotto art in Tianlong Mountain.
Tianlongshan Grottoes were excavated in the Eastern Wei Dynasty, continued to the Northern Qi Dynasty, and reached its peak in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. The main caves are distributed on the cliffs between the East and West peaks, with 25 caves and more than 500 statues. Grottoes are world-famous for their exquisite carving skills, profound Buddhist connotations, meticulous expressive force and rich flavor of life, and are praised as "the treasure house of oriental sculpture art" by Mr. Qian Shaowu, a famous sculpture master in China. In the early 1920s, the grottoes were seriously damaged by man-made, and most of the fine products in the grottoes were stolen and transported abroad, and scattered in Japan, Europe and America.
Shengshou Temple, located under the grottoes, was originally named Tianlong Temple. Founded in the first year of Northern Qi Dynasty (AD 560), it was renamed in Yuan Dynasty and rebuilt in Ming Dynasty. This is an ancient temple with a long history. In addition, Bailong Cave, Guandi Temple, Guanyin Pagoda, Thousand Buddha Cave, Liuyigu, flag-inserting stone and so on are also important landscapes of Tianlong Mountain, and there are many myths and legends of ancient treasures.
The beauty of Tianlong Mountain is the beauty interwoven with human landscape and natural scenery. Here, there are beautiful scenery, deep ravines, refreshing climate and gurgling springs. Tianlong Mountain is a natural alpine secondary forest belt, with a vegetation coverage rate of over 80%, at least 200 plant species and woody plants accounting for over 40%. There are more than 20 species of birds, animals, flowers and birds in the forest, which belong to the first-and second-class protected animals of the country. Pine, cypress and cypress are intertwined, intertwined and have different shapes. Panlong pine, Phoenix pine and pine and cypress can be called treasures in trees. There are many springs in the mountains, including Longquan and Siquan, all of which are famous. The water quality is pure and sweet, and it is rich in trace elements beneficial to human body. The air in the mountains is fresh and the climate is cool. Wandering in the meantime, like entering a fairyland, is refreshing and unforgettable.
The long human history and beautiful natural scenery echo each other, forming eight unique Yi Long sights: Chongshan Huancui, Foge Stopping Clouds, Ding Feng Dugu, Baiqipankong, Longchi Ling Ze, Shidong Plank Road, Gao Huan Summer Palace and Liu Yi Banner Stone, which have become tourist attractions for ancient exploration and leisure in summer.
Introduction of main attractions:
1. Tianlongshan Grottoes Tianlongshan Grottoes were first excavated in the Eastern Wei Dynasty of the Northern Dynasties more than 400 years ago. After successive excavations in the Northern Qi Dynasty, Sui Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, Five Dynasties and Ming Dynasty, it formed its present scale. Tianlongshan Grottoes are divided into three areas. The main grottoes are distributed on the cliffs between the East and West peaks. There are more than 500 large and small stone buddhas in 25 grottoes, with reliefs, algae wells and murals 1 144. Tianlongshan Grottoes are mostly square grottoes with the same width and depth, and the caves with three walls and three niches account for more than half of all grottoes. Compared with the Northern Wei Dynasty, the carving technology of grottoes has made great progress, which is a typical example of the gradual China of grottoes, a foreign art form. In particular, the statues of bodhisattvas in the caves of the Tang Dynasty are even more graceful. Its striking, lifelike facial expressions, soft and elegant, colorful costumes and leisurely and natural posture completely break through the traditional mode of Buddhist sculpture in the past. They are more like some wealthy ladies in the Tang Dynasty, making the distant and mysterious Buddha gods closer to the real world and more easily accepted by secular society. Mr. Fu He, a famous sculptor, praised these Buddha statues, calling them the most exquisite examples of ancient carving art in China, and their carving art level was obviously higher than that of grottoes in other areas at the same time. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the exquisite grotto statues in Tianlong Mountain caused a sensation and widespread concern in the world. At the same time, it also attracted large-scale piracy, and most of the fine works in the living grottoes were stolen and transported abroad, and lost to Japan, Europe and America.
Today, although we can't see the glory of Tianlong Mountain Grottoes in its heyday, we can still feel the elegance of the past from its exquisite stone carvings, which still gives people strong artistic regrets. Not only that, this incomplete beauty can stimulate our national pride and patriotic passion. In this sense, Tianlong Mountain Grottoes have far-reaching significance.
Second, Shengshou Temple Shengshou Temple is located halfway up Tianlong Mountain, facing the dangerous peak in the north and the cliff at the door. The surrounding mountains are undulating and Lin Tao is rippling. The temple is an ancient temple with a strong religious atmosphere, with towering temples, carved beams and painted buildings, numerous stone tablets and a quiet environment.
Shengshou Temple, formerly known as Tianlong Temple, was founded in the first year of Northern Qi Dynasty (AD 560) and was once one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Jinyang area. During the Jintianhui period, Tianlong Temple was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in later generations. Tianlong Temple was renamed Shengshou Temple in Ming Dynasty, which means Shengshou Temple has a high status and a long history.
At present, Shengshou Temple is a courtyard with two entrances. From south to north, the central axis is Shanmen, Tianwang Hall, Pharmacist Hall and Daxiong Hall. There are affiliated halls on both sides of the main hall, followed by Jiulian Cave and the Buddhist Scripture Building. The temple has preserved the statue of King Kong in the late Tang Dynasty, the Hall of the Great Hero built in the tenth year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1377), the inscriptions of the Northern Han Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty, and many cultural relics such as ancient clocks, ancient chimes and tomb towers.
3. Bailong Cave Bailong Cave, also known as Bai Longwang Temple, is a place where ancient people prayed for rain, located at the intersection of the east and west peaks of Tianlong Mountain. There are three main halls, which are cave-like buildings made of huge stones. The original front eaves are cloisters and octagonal columns, which are quaint and ancient, and are the remains of the Northern Qi Dynasty. There used to be a statue of the Ming Dynasty woodcarving dragon king and waiter in the temple, which was beautifully carved and had good skills. In the cave on the west side of the temple, there is the "Dragon Pool Ling Ze", one of the eight dragons. Spring water seeps slowly from crevices, which will not dry up during drought and will not overflow during rain and flood. The water contains trace element strontium, which is a natural high-quality mineral water. Regular drinking can prolong life and is regarded as a divine spring by villagers. Legend has it that there is a white dragon hidden in the pool, so it is called Bailong Cave.
4. Panlongsong Panlongsong is located at the foot of Shengshou Temple Mountain. Its trunk is about 2 meters high and mottled and rugged. Its branches are winding and radiate in all directions, shaped like a canopy and a dragon. This is a masterpiece of nature. The dense canopy spreads out like a huge green umbrella, covering an area of over 200 square meters. Its strange shape is really rare. In the Ming Dynasty, Jin Fanjing' Wang An Yin Long' once wrote a poem praising Pan Longsong: "The old dry arc is marked by thick fragrant leaves, and the yin and yin are entrenched, and the natural force is fantastic, and the clouds and rain are empty and the mountains are clustered with dragons." Now it is one of the famous Dragon Eight Scenes.
Verb (abbreviation of verb) Liu Yigu Liu Yigu is one of the famous nine valleys in Xishan, Taiyuan. Legend has it that at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, Herry Liu, the leader of the slave rebel army, led many people to move in this valley, hence the name Liu Zhigu.
Liu Yigu is 10 km long, with deep ravines, many strange rocks and conifers on both sides. Scenic spots gather in this valley and meander out, forming numerous waterfalls and hydrological landscapes along the way. The whole Liu Yishan Valley is quiet and exquisite, which makes people feel relaxed and happy.
Transportation: Take Xintaifen Highway and Tianlongshan Tourism Highway from Taiyuan to the scenic spot for about 1 hour, or take bus No.804 and No.856 in Taiyuan to get off at Jinci, and then transfer to local tourist vehicles to reach the scenic spot. The whole journey takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Service: Tianlong Mountain Villa is a comprehensive service place in the scenic spot. The whole villa is built according to the architectural style of Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the courtyard is laid out according to the natural mountain, which is simple, solemn and natural and harmonious. The beautiful environment and refreshing climate here can provide you with accommodation, catering and entertainment services with unique scenic features.
Address: Jinci Town, Jinyuan District, Taiyuan
Tel: 6020538