[2025 Handan Attraction] Travel Guide for Beixiangtang Temple (Updated May)

Explore Xiangtangshan Grottoes: A severely underestimated treasure in Yanzhao I. Attraction information 📍Attraction address: Located on Gushan Mountain in Fengfeng Mining District, Handan City, Hebei Province, divided into South Xiangtang Temple Grottoes and North Xiangtang Temple Grottoes. 🚗Attraction transportation: - Self-driving: Drive west along Xinyi Highway from Handan City, follow the navigation prompts, and the journey takes about 40 minutes. The road conditions along the way are good, and there is a parking lot in the scenic area, with a parking fee of about CNY 10–20. - Bus: Take bus No. 604 in Handan City, which can go directly to the North Xiangtang Temple Grottoes, and the journey takes about 1.5 hours. The travel cost is low, but it takes a long time. - Taxi: The whole journey costs about CNY 50–70, which is suitable for sharing the cost with multiple people. It can go directly to the scenic area, which is convenient and fast. II. Must-see grottoes North Xiangtang Temple Grottoes: - Great Buddha Cave: The largest cave in the temple, with a solemn and majestic 11.5-meter-high Buddha in the cave, leaning against the backlight composed of flame patterns and honeysuckle patterns. Although it has been eroded by time, you can still see the superb carving skills of the year. Its face is round and plump, with the corners of its mouth slightly raised, showing its charm. - Sutra Cave: The walls and top of the cave are full of scriptures, which are precious materials for studying Buddhist classics and calligraphy art. The font is strong and powerful, with a unique style, showing the calligraphy style of the Northern Qi Dynasty. South Xiangtang Temple Grottoes: - Huayan Cave: Named after the "Avatamsaka Sutra" carved in the cave, the statues in the cave are exquisite, and although the colors of the murals have faded, you can still see the delicate lines and rich patterns, which have extremely high artistic value. - Thousand Buddha Cave: The walls and niches of the cave are full of small Buddha statues, with a large number and various shapes. The dense Buddha statues create a solemn and sacred atmosphere, which is breathtaking. III. Ticket information 🎟️Ticket price: The ticket price for South Xiangtang Temple Grottoes and North Xiangtang Temple Grottoes is about CNY 40 each, which can be purchased at the ticket window of the scenic area or on online travel platforms. Discount policy: Children under 1.2 meters in height, elderly people over 70 years old, disabled people, etc. can enter for free with valid certificates; elderly people aged 60–69, students, etc. can enjoy a half-price discount. IV. Other tips 💗Visiting time: The scenic area is usually open from 8:00 to 17:00. It is recommended to arrange half a day to visit, visit the North Xiangtang Temple Grottoes in the morning, and go to the South Xiangtang Temple Grottoes in the afternoon. Avoid the peak flow of people, and you can enjoy the art of grottoes more comfortably. Explanation service: There are professional guides in the scenic area to provide explanation services, and the cost is about CNY 100–150/time. You can also rent an electronic guide, and the rent is about CNY 20–30/unit, which helps you to have an in-depth understanding of the historical culture and artistic value of the grottoes. Local food: There are many local specialty restaurants around the scenic area. It is recommended to try Pengcheng Sanxiaguo, which is stewed with meatballs, tofu, kelp, and other ingredients. It has a mellow taste and affordable price, with a per capita consumption of CNY 30–50.

The fifth largest grotto in China, the Xiangtangshan Grottoes. It is divided into North and South Xiangtang Mountains, with North Xiangtang Mountain as the main one. It is said that Beixiangtang is also the location of the tomb of Gao Huan, the actual founder of the Northern Qi Dynasty! What is even more shocking is the ruins of Changle Temple. The three headless Buddha statues of the same model in the Chinese Geography do not look desolate and ruined under the blue sky and white clouds.

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.

Xiangtangshan Grottoes, located at the southernmost tip of Hebei, in the Fengfeng Mining District of Handan, is one of China's three major royal grottoes and one of the first batch of key cultural relics protection units in the country. Due to the deep caves, people can produce a loud echo by clapping or swinging their sleeves inside, hence the name 'Xiangtang' (Echo Hall). The grottoes were first excavated in the late Eastern Wei period, with the main construction completed during the Northern Qi (550-577 AD). Repairs and additional excavations were carried out during the Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing, and Republic of China periods, forming the current scale. Xiangtangshan Grottoes mainly represent the Buddhist sculpture art of the Northern Qi period in the late Northern Dynasties, and are acclaimed by the academic community as the 'Northern Qi Model'. Xiangtangshan Grottoes are divided into two parts, north and south, about 15 kilometers apart. There are more than 30 existing grottoes, over 450 cliff carvings, more than 5,000 Buddha statues, and a large number of inscriptions and epigraphs. The Xiangtangshan Scenic Area, where the Northern Xiangtang Grottoes are located, is quite large. Entering the mountain gate, there is a large square, and in the distance, you can see an ancient pagoda. Below the pagoda is the site of the Changle Temple. From beside the Changle Temple, you can climb the mountain along the northern path, and the grottoes can be seen halfway up the mountain. It is said that the Northern Xiangtang Great Buddha Cave was built by the founding emperor of the Northern Qi, Gao Yang, as a tomb for his father, the Northern Wei power minister Gao Huan. The Great Buddha has a serene smile, a calm demeanor, and the flame patterns on the halo behind its head are brightly colored, paired with dragon patterns and scroll grass, creating a dynamic and static contrast that is solemn and majestic. Looking up at the unique pagoda-shaped niches and patterns carved on the walls of the cave, you can vaguely see the remaining paintings, which are very impressive! Currently, around 3 PM, sunlight will shine into the Great Buddha Cave. It is recommended to stay until after 5 PM when the tourists have left, and you can have the entire Great Buddha Cave to yourself. The Northern Xiangtang Sutra Carving Cave houses the first sutra carving stele in China. The walls of the cave are covered with sutra carvings, pioneering large-scale sutra carving. It is also the only grotto in Xiangtangshan with two Buddhas sitting side by side. As one of the three major royal grottoes, the Northern and Southern Xiangtangshan Grottoes have quietly and modestly guarded Fukou Pass for 1,500 years. The Northern Qi, such an absurd dynasty, built such grand and exquisite grottoes. The hopes of the people and the ambitions of the emperors are carved and sealed in the Buddha statues and niches of each grotto. Humanistic imprints and artistic innovations, after thousands of years, are still preserved in the Buddha's smiling eyes, vivid and lifelike~ Northern Xiangtang Temple