Travel Notes of Hebei: Handan Xiangtangshan Grottoes
On the morning of April 10, 2023, after breakfast at the hotel, I left my luggage at the front desk and took bus No. 66 at 7:50 to Handan West Passenger Station, then transferred to bus 805 to Fengfeng Mining District, fare 8 yuan per person. At 9:10, I got off at Railway Bridge, then transferred to bus No. 2 to Xiangtangshan Grottoes Scenic Area, fare 4 yuan. The bus dropped us off at an intersection, and there was still 3 kilometers to walk. Fortunately, there was a motorized tricycle at the stop, 5 yuan per person, and we arrived at the scenic area at 9:50. Regardless of the cost, this journey was quite a hassle, consuming much time and energy. Due to inconvenient transportation, it's no wonder many tourists have to give up. We had seen online that there were direct buses to the scenic area, but in reality, there are only scheduled buses, running four times a day, as we saw on the bus stop sign after leaving the scenic area.
Xiangtangshan Grottoes, also known as Xiangtang Temple Grottoes, are located in Fengfeng Mining District, Handan City, at the southernmost tip of Hebei Province. They are among the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. The grottoes were initially carved during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550–577 AD). Later, the Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties added more. There are 16 grottoes with over 4,000 statues, all carved into the high-quality rock of Gushan Mountain, where the scenery is beautiful and the environment is pleasant. The grottoes are deep, and when people clap their hands or swing their sleeves inside the caves, they produce a loud echo, hence the name 'Xiangtang' (Echoing Hall). Xiangtangshan Grottoes are divided into northern and southern sections, about 15 kilometers apart. Because the grottoes are on the mountainside, people's laughter, sleeve movements, and footsteps all create resounding echoes, giving the grottoes their name. There are 16 existing grottoes, over 450 cliffside niches, more than 5,000 statues of various sizes, and a large number of engraved sutras and inscriptions. Xiangtangshan Grottoes are the largest grottoes discovered in Hebei Province and are among the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units announced by the State Council. They are now a national AAAA-level scenic area and a four-star forest park. In November 2012, the Xiangtangshan Scenic Area was upgraded to a national scenic area.
First, we visited the Northern Xiangtangshan, which is farther from the city. Northern Xiangtang is located on the west side of Gushan Mountain in Hecun Town, built on the cliff face halfway up the mountain. It was initially established in the Northern Wei Dynasty and built in the Northern Qi Dynasty (550–577 AD), with continued additions in the Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. There are 9 existing grottoes (excluding other small niches) with 725 Buddha statues of various sizes. The grottoes are divided into three groups: southern, central, and northern, each with a large cave representative of the Northern Qi. Chinese historian Fan Wenlan wrote in 'A General History of China' that 'the Great Buddha Cave of Northern Xiangtang can be compared with the Binyang Cave of Longmen Grottoes, the fifth cave of Gongxian Grottoes, and the major caves of Yungang Grottoes.'
Xiangtangshan has no cable car. Although the mountain is not high, climbing it requires considerable physical effort. There are two paths up the mountain; usually, people take the left path to go up and the right path to come down. On the way down, one can pass by the Northern Xiangtang Temple, but it is a newly rebuilt temple, so we did not visit; returning the same way is shorter. We finished viewing at 1:00 PM and had a bowl of cold noodles outside the scenic area gate, 7 yuan per bowl. We waited for a tricycle, 5 yuan per person to the main road, then took bus No. 2 back to Fengfeng Mining District, passing by the Southern Xiangtangshan Scenic Area, so we took a look.
Southern Xiangtang Temple is located at the foot of Xiangtang Mountain on the north bank of the Fuyang River in Pengcheng. It is built on the dragon head position at the southernmost part of Xiangtang Mountain, carved during the Northern Qi Dynasty, a royal grotto temple with a history of over 1,400 years.
Southern Xiangtang Temple consists of grottoes, a Buddha hall, a mountain-side pavilion, an ancient pagoda, a bell tower, and a grotto museum. The grottoes are built on the east side of Southern Xiangtang Temple, facing southwest. They are divided into two levels, with seven cave grottoes containing over 3,700 Buddha statues. Due to age and wars, the damage is considerable. The lower level has two caves: Huayan Cave and Banruo Cave. Huayan Cave is inscribed with the 'Avatamsaka Sutra,' the calligraphy vigorous and well-preserved. The upper level includes Amitabha Cave, Sakyamuni Cave, Hercules Cave, Thousand Buddha Cave, etc. Thousand Buddha Cave is the most ornate and well-preserved, with a ceiling painted with an eight-petal lotus in brilliant colors. Around it are apsaras playing various musical instruments—some playing the konghou and qin, some blowing sheng and flutes, some holding bowls offering celestial fruits, singing and dancing with flowing ribbons, graceful postures, and vivid expressions. This demonstrates the extraordinary relief carving skills of the ancients.
However, Southern Xiangtang is smaller, the grottoes are severely damaged, and there are iron railings separating them, so the viewing experience is poor. Therefore, missing it is not a regret. The ticket for Northern Xiangtang is 60 yuan, and Southern Xiangtang is about 20 yuan. After seeing Northern Xiangtang, there is no need to see Southern Xiangtang, but since Southern Xiangtang is on the western outskirts of Fengfeng Mining District, close to the city, it's fine to visit along the way.
After viewing Southern Xiangtang at 2:30 PM, we went out and prepared to take bus No. 2 to Railway Bridge. A bus came, which happened to be bus 805 returning to Handan, and we returned to Handan very smoothly. We got off at 3:47 PM, went back to the hotel to pick up our luggage, then went to Handan Railway Station to take Train Z150. The scheduled departure was 5:40 PM, but it was delayed by 25 minutes, arriving at Xingtai Railway Station at 6:40 PM. After exiting the station, we took bus No. 1 to Huaye Communication Plaza, got off, and checked into the Home Inn. The standard room cost 121 yuan, including double breakfast. After settling in, we went out and had dinner at a Grandma Dumpling Restaurant.
