Lingquan Temple Grottoes, Anyang, Henan (Eastern Wei Dynasty)

Baoshan is located 25 kilometers southwest of Anyang County, Anyang City, Henan Province. The mountain has two peaks in the north and south, with an east-west canyon in the middle. The grottoes are on both sides of the canyon. It was named because there was an old Lingquan Temple in the middle (originally called Baoshan Temple, and renamed Lingquan Temple during the Kaihuang period of the Sui Dynasty (Emperor Wen of Sui)). There are 106 caves on the North Peak and 64 caves on the South Peak, a total of 170 caves. The construction of the Daliusheng Grottoes began in the fourth year of Wuding in the Eastern Wei Dynasty (546 AD) and lasted for more than 600 years until the end of the Song Dynasty. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, there were only 209 grotto statues and cliff stone pagodas left, including two stone pagodas each from the Northern Qi Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty. The existing buildings are all modern reconstructions. The Dazhusheng Cave, which was carved in the ninth year of Kaihuang in the Sui Dynasty (589 AD) in the middle of the southeast side of the North Peak, is a masterpiece of the cave sculptures. It is square in plan with an area of ​​5.8 square meters and a round arched door. On both sides of the door are sculptures of the gods Kapila and Narayana. They have sturdy bodies, wearing helmets and armor, holding swords and forks, and stepping on cattle and sheep, looking strong and ferocious. There is a Buddhist niche above the door, with a Buddha and two Bodhisattvas carved inside. There is a lotus caisson carved on the top of the cave, and flying figures carved around it, which are vivid and elegant. To the northwest of the Lingquan Temple site is a pair of single-story square stone pagodas from the Northern Qi Dynasty, 2.5 meters high and with simple carvings. They are the cremation pagodas for Master Daoping. They are engraved with an inscription of March 17, the second year of Heqing in the Da Qi Dynasty (563 AD). This is the earliest outdoor stone pagoda in China. There is a pair of nine-story square towers from the Tang Dynasty. They are dense-eaves pavilions with a total height of six meters. The tower bodies are engraved with Buddha, his disciples and guardian gods, and the tower bases are decorated with carvings of performers holding musical instruments such as flutes, shengs, drums, pipa, and konghou. This gives us a glimpse of the music culture of the Sui and Tang Dynasties. There is a pair of Northern Dynasty stone lions.