https://uk.trip.com/moments/detail/handan-495-125003103
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Beixiangtang Temple Sculpture, a thousand-year echo.

Speaking of grottoes, in addition to Datong Longgang and Luoyang Longmen, the Xiangtangshan Grottoes hidden in Handan, Hebei, are also worth looking forward to. There are the South and North Xiangtang Grottoes. If you don't have enough time, you can also visit the North Xiangtang. Beixiangtang Temple is located in the Xiangtangshan Scenic Area in Fengfeng Mining Area and Village, Handan City, Hebei Province (east side), and its west side is Gushan, which is the branch of Taihang Mountain. Speaking of Xiangtang Grottoes, it should be the style between the Northern Wei Dynasty and Longmen Grottoes. It was created in the Northern Wei Dynasty and built in the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577 AD), and continued to be excavated in the Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming Dynasties. There are more than 30 existing grottoes and more than 5,000 large and small Buddha statues. There are the Great Buddha Cave, the Sakyamuni Cave, and the Sutra Carving Cave. The Great Buddha Cave is the main part. It is said that there is a tomb of Gao Huan on the niche. Chinese historian Fan Wenlan wrote in "A General History of China": "The Great Buddha Cave of the North Xiangtang Grottoes is comparable to the Binyang Cave of the Longmen Grottoes, the Fifth Cave of the Gongxian Grottoes, and the various large caves of the Yungang Grottoes." The beauty of the cave statues of Beixiangtang Temple lies in the characteristics of the Northern Qi Dynasty, the understanding and expression of Buddhism by nomadic peoples, and more importantly, its broken head and body, which are endless and sighing. The shock and regret brought by the brokenness make the statue itself more regretful and mysterious. The body and head are in different places, and the head scattered overseas, although it has been repositioned through 3D technology, but for such a situation, it is always sighing and thought-provoking. It is said that Beixiangtang Temple is currently operated by entrepreneurs in Wu'an. They have invested a lot of energy to maintain this national treasure. The repositioning of the statue's body and head was helped by overseas Chinese living in the United States. She collected the pictures and data of the heads scattered in museums around the world and shared them with Beixiangtang Temple. The Sutra Carving Cave needs more professional rescue and maintenance at all times. From the foot of the mountain to Xiangtang Temple, it takes about half an hour to forty minutes to climb up. If you take a battery car, you will be up in ten minutes. The Xiangtang Temple Grottoes are deep and secluded. Because people can make loud echoes by clapping and waving their sleeves in the cave, they are named "Xiangtang". There are also places such as the Song Dynasty Changle Pagoda and Xiangtang Temple, and the Digital Display Center near Beixiangtang Temple. If you are interested, you need at least four hours to visit. From Handan City to Beixiangtang Temple, it takes about an hour by car. The whole journey is on the expressway, which is very convenient.
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*Created by local travelers and translated by AI.
Posted: Oct 2, 2024
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