Tianlongshan Grottoes
About
Tianlongshan Grottoes (天龙山石窟; Tiān lóng shān Shí kū ), (40 km southwest of Taiyuan. Best reached by car. A bus runs from Wuyi Square in Taiyuan to Qingxu, which is the nearest major town to the grottoes.). 7:30AM-6:30PM. Tianlongshan Grottoes is a series of 25 caves carved into the mountainside of Tianlong Mountain and well known among Chinese art experts for the fine Buddhist statues and decorations which were sculpted within. The earliest of these caves were built during the Eastern Wei Dynasty (534-550), and additional caves were added in the Northern Qu, Sui, and Tang Dynasties. Grottoes 2 and 3 are the oldest in the complex, dating back nearly 1500 years. The largest and most impressive grotto is the ninth one, a multi-storied cave with several large Buddha statues and covered by an intricate three-story wooden pavilion, the Manshan Pavilion. ¥25.
