Tianlongshan Grottoes 天龙山石窟

About Tianlongshan Grottoes

Caves 2 and 3 preserve the earlier architectural language, while Cave 9, associated with Manshan Pavilion, presents a larger layered composition. Missing heads and damaged figures are an essential part of what you see: many sculptures were cut away for the international art trade. The surviving settings and modern interpretation help reconnect those fragments with their original caves.

The grottoes were first cut in the late Northern Wei and Eastern Wei periods and are considered representative of Northern Qi Buddhist culture, beginning with the Foyan grotto temple built under the Northern Qi Emperor Wenxuan and the Tianlong grotto temple of Emperor Xiaozhao; later dynasties continued carving caves at the site into the Tang period. In the 1920s many of the statues were removed and sold to foreign collectors, a trade that grew after the Japanese dealer Yamanaka Sadajiro published a book on the caves' contents, and numerous sculptures from Tianlongshan are now held in museums abroad.

The site's caves extend about 500 metres along the south-facing cliffs of the eastern and western peaks, with 25 caves in total, twelve on the eastern peak and thirteen on the western, containing more than 500 surviving sculptures. Tang-dynasty carvings, which form the majority, are noted for their soft modelling, flowing drapery and naturalism and are recognised as a distinct regional 'Tianlongshan style'. The grottoes were listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位) in 2001.

What to look for

• Caves 2 and 3, with early chamber forms and relief decoration.
• Cave 9 and the Manshan Pavilion setting, contrasting with the earlier caves.

The surrounding area

Provincial city base for Jinci, museums and the Zhonglou Street food-and-walking district.

Location & getting there

Getting to Tianlongshan Grottoes

Approach Tianlongshan through the Jinci area of Taiyuan's Jinyuan District; the tourism-road connection begins by Jinci Museum and joins the mountain road.

• Arrange the final mountain transfer for Tianlongshan itself and confirm the open cave route before ascending.