April 10, 2025

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  Library>Travel in China>Protected Sites>Class Ⅲ>Grottos
 
 
 
Grottos on Tongtian Cliff

 

The Grottos on Tongtian Cliff are located 10 kilometers southwest of Ganzhou City.

The grottos are a famous scenic spot in the suburbs of Ganzhou City and also a concentration area of statues in grottos in South China. The Scenic Area of Tongtian Cliff includes Wanggui Cliff, Tongxin Cliff, Tongtian Cliff and Cuiwei Cliff.

Wanggui Cliff is also called Lion Cliff because it is shaped like a lion. There is a natural grotto in the cliff which is so cool and comfortable in the hot summers that it makes visitors on the scoop; the place is therefore called Wanggui (forgetting to go back) Cliff. Between the cliffs are the statues in stone niches and cliffside inscriptions.

East of Wanggui Cliff is Tongxin Cliff with the three engraved Chinese characters --Tong Xin Ya-- from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and decorated with carvings of dragons and tigers. The stone carvings and statues line one side of the cliff so visitors can appreciate them when strolling along.

Tongtian (reaching the sky) Cliff has a cave with a hole leading to the cliff's summit. With over 300 statues of Buddha, the cliff has been a famous place for Buddhists since the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties.

Originally, there were 116 inscriptions at Tongtian Cliff, Cuiwei Cliff, Tongxin Cliff and Wanggui Cliff, but only 97 remain. The inscriptions are not only records of the local history but also treasures of the ancient calligraphic arts.

Altogether, the Scenic Area of Tongtian Cliff has 348 statues. Except for the several standing Buddha sculptures at Cuiwei Cliff carved in the Tang Dynasty, the remainders were carved in the Song Dynasty. The sculptures are representatives of the art of carving in China.

 
 
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