Where are the places of interest in Shanxi?

Shanxi's scenic spots and historic sites - Yungang Grottoes (Photos)

A list of Shanxi's famous scenic spots and historic sites

Guoxiu.com 2006-5-11

Datong Volcano Group

Datong Volcano Group is located between 20 and 60 kilometers east of Datong City. It is a famous extinct volcano group in eastern China. It consists of two parts: one part was formed in the Tertiary Period and is mainly distributed in Zuoyun, Youyu and other counties; the other part was formed in the Quaternary Period and is mainly distributed in the northern part of the Datong Basin. The latter group of volcanoes has greater research value. There are more than 30 volcanoes in total. Their distribution characteristics are divided into four districts: east, south, west and north. The north district was formed the earliest, followed by the east and south districts, and the west district is the latest. The eastern area volcanoes refer to the six isolated volcanoes in the Sanggan River Valley between Guayuan and Shenquan Temple, including Naotoudiao, Xiaojiayaotou, Dongposhan, Shenquan Temple, Efeitiao and Daxinzhuang. The relative height of Jiayao volcano is about 100 meters. The mountain is round and relatively well preserved. The craters of Shenquan Temple and Efeituda volcano are no longer visible. The volcanoes in the southern area mainly refer to the Dayukou volcano, Xiyaotou volcano and three unnamed volcanoes in the northeast of Xiyaotou in the area south of Sanggan River. The Western District volcano refers to the volcanoes distributed to the north of Guayuan and Xiping. It is the earliest discovered and more in-depth researched part of the Datong volcano group. It includes 15 volcanoes including Heishan, Shuangshan, Laohushan, and Langwoshan. It is characterized by a cone shape and is mainly composed of pyroclastic materials. The mountain shape is complex and diverse, and there are many fetal volcanoes and parasitic volcanoes. Among them, Heishan is the largest in the Datong volcanic group. The largest and most complex one, it is shaped like a gentle hill, with twin mountains located in the center of the volcano group. The volcanoes in the North District mainly refer to the six volcanoes in Gushan north of Datong City and in the southwest of Gushan. Among them, Gushan is the largest and most characteristic volcano in this area. It is dome-shaped and stands alone. ?

Xujiayao Man Site

Xujiayao Man Site is a national key cultural relic protection unit. It is located 1.5 kilometers south of Xujiayao Village, the ancient town of Yanggao County, northeast of Datong City. About 100,000 years ago, it belongs to the Middle Paleolithic Age. From 1976 to 1977, the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted excavations. The site contained human fossils, a large number of stone artifacts, ancient horn tools, and abundant mammal fossils. Human fossils include parietal bones, occipital bone fragments, teeth and jaws of Xujiayao people. One of the complete right skull bones is the largest ancient human fossil discovered in the country in recent years. Xujiayao people are descendants of "Beijing people". They migrated westward about 100,000 years ago, encountered "Datong Lake" and settled here. This discovery fills the gap between "Beijing people" and "Zhiyu people". Xujiayao culture is represented by stone products and bone horn tools. There are more than 14,000 stone products, including scrapers, pointed tools, carving tools, stone drills, chopping tools, stone balls and other forms. Only 1,079 stone balls have been found, which is a very rare number. Other stone tools are all small and fine in shape, and are an important transition link between Beijing culture and Zhiyu culture. The animal fossils mainly include more than 20 species including Przewalski's horse, woolly rhinoceros, Przewalski's gazelle, goose-throated gazelle, wild boar, wolf, and tiger. ?

Qingci Kiln Paleolithic Site

Qingci Kiln Paleolithic Site is a key cultural relic protection unit in Shanxi Province. Primitive society and cultural relics. It is located on the southern slope of Wuzhou Mountain in Qingciyao Village, 8.5 kilometers west of Datong City, with an altitude of 1,130 meters. The two sites that have been excavated, Sanjia Village and Wazhagou, are located in the gray-green silt soil containing brecci at the rear edge of the second terrace on the left bank of the Shili River, about 25 meters above the Shili River. Excavations were conducted in 1977, and more than 1,000 pieces of stone tools were discovered in the yellow-brown silty clay layer belonging to the Upper Pleistocene. There are scrapers, pointed tools, stone balls, etc., as well as a large number of stone cores, stone flakes and mammal fossils derived from them, mostly wild horses and woolly rhinos. Judging from these fossils, the geological age of the site is the late Cenozoic period and belongs to the late Paleolithic culture, which is similar to the cultural era of the Xujiayao people in Yanggao. ?

Alpine Microlithic Site

Alpine Microlithic Site is a key cultural relic protection unit in Shanxi Province. Primitive society and cultural relics. It is located on a platform about 1 km west of Gaoshan Town, 30 kilometers west of Datong City. The platform is about 8 meters above the river surface and was washed by the river into hills extending to the north. The relics are rich and contain typical Neolithic microlithic tools and pottery shards. There are exquisitely crafted agate stone cones and stone clusters, round scrapers, etc., as well as a large number of stone cores and stone flakes, mostly made of agate and flint. The pottery sherds are mostly gray-black, hard in texture, heated to a high temperature, contain less sand, and mostly contain fine sand. They are decorated with grate patterns, rope patterns, etc., and the shapes of the pots include pots, bowls, bowls, etc. It belongs to the microlithic culture of the late Neolithic period. ?

Jijiazhuang Neolithic Site

Jijiazhuang Neolithic Site is a key cultural relic protection unit in Shanxi Province. It is located about 500 meters southeast of Jijiazhuang Village, Jijiazhuang Township, Datong County. Jijiazhuang Village is adjacent to the northern foot of Dianshan Mountain in the south and close to the south bank of Sanggan River. The site is on the second terrace of Sanggan River, covering an area of ??about 1 square kilometer. Most of it is farmland. The relics on the ground are very rich, with pottery fragments and stone tools everywhere. There are small zigzag ditches in the northeast of the site, and ash pits and ash layers can be seen from the faults. The ash layer is 2.5 to 3 meters thick, and there are many relics that have not been excavated. The pottery materials in the relics are mainly sand pottery and clay pottery. Most of them are gray pottery, with some black pottery and black and red painted pottery. Its decorative patterns mainly include thick rope patterns, thin rope patterns, broken rope patterns, basket patterns, string patterns, and many plain patterns. The shapes of the utensils include large-mouth urns, pots, basins, stone adzes, stone axes, stone pestles, etc.

There are several types of utensil-shaped mouths: extravagant, open, and straight. Many utensils have cord patterns on their mouths. Judging from the contents of the site, the site mainly belongs to the culture of the Longshan period, but also the culture of the Yangshao period. ?

The Tomb of King Zhao Wuling

The Tomb of King Zhao Wuling is a key cultural relic protection unit in Shanxi Province. It is located 1 km west of Lingqiu County, southeast of Datong City. King Wuling of Zhao, named Yong, was the sixth king of Zhao during the Warring States Period and reigned from 325 to 299 BC. He innovated to become stronger, implemented "Hufu riding and shooting", opened up territory and expanded the country, and made Zhao country from weak to strong. He was an accomplished politician and strategist. In 298 BC, the throne was passed to his youngest son Zhao He, who called himself "Master Father" and led troops to destroy the Zhongshan Kingdom. In 395 BC, Gongzi Zhang fought for the throne, and Gongzi Cheng and others surrounded his father's palace for more than three months. King Wuling starved to death in the sand dunes. According to legend, he was buried here. The tomb originally covered an area of ??60,000 square meters, but now has a protected area of ??10,900 square meters. The circumference of the tomb is 220 meters and the height is 10 meters. During the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty, a stele was erected and a 4-meter-high stele tower was built. During the Republic of China, a monument was erected. The cemetery is planted with trees and the graves are covered with green grass, making the mausoleum even more spectacular. Lingqiu County is named after its tombs. ?

Site of the Battle of Baideng

Site of the Battle of Baideng is the battlefield site of the Western Han Dynasty. It is on Mapu Mountain, 5 kilometers northeast of Datong City. Mapu Mountain, known as Baideng Mountain in ancient times, is an isolated loess hill with a surrounding area of ??about 10 kilometers and a height of more than 300 meters. There was originally a Baideng Platform on the top of the mountain. In the early Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu Maodun Chanyu continued to invade the northern counties of the Han Dynasty. In the seventh year of Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty (200 BC), King Xin of Han colluded with Chanyu Maodun to seize Mayi and rebelled. Liu Bang led an army of 320,000 to march north and invaded Pingcheng. The Xiongnu sent out 400,000 elite troops and besieged the Han army at Baishan Mountain for seven days and seven nights. The Han army fought hard and finally broke through. After the war, Liu Bang adopted Lou Jing's suggestion and adopted a pacification policy towards the Huns. In 1993, the Datong Municipal People's Government built a new "Hanque"-style stele pavilion here, with the inscription "Site of the Battle of Han Baideng" written on the front and the original text of the official history on the back. Pine trees are planted all around, green and tall. ?

Yanggao Ancient City Han Tomb Group

Yanggao Ancient City Han Tomb Group is a key cultural relic protection unit in Shanxi Province. It is located between Yanggao Ancient City and Majiazao Village in the northeast of Datong City, and is distributed within an area of ??about 10 kilometers long from north to south and about 3 kilometers wide from east to west. The most concentrated tombs are in the Xujiayao and Shanjiayao areas. There are 58 tombs in existence. The height of the tombs is 3 to 10 meters, and the circumference is 90 to 100 meters. In the spring of 1943, Japanese scholar Mizuno Seiichi and his assistants excavated three tombs in the east of Gucheng Village, all of which were brick chamber tombs. They unearthed and transported a number of cultural relics from the Han Dynasty, including bronze Boshan furnaces, bronze seals, bronze mirrors and belt hooks. ?

Hunyuan Mazhuang Han Tombs

Hunyuan Mazhuang Han Tombs are key cultural relics protection units in Shanxi Province. It is located between Mazhuang and Bicun, 7.5 kilometers west-north of Hunyuan County in the southeast of Datong City. More than 20 raised mounds can be seen on the surface. When the land was being leveled in 1973, a tomb was excavated. After archaeological clearance, it was confirmed to be a wooden coffin tomb where local officials and their wives were buried together in the middle of the Western Han Dynasty (150 BC). The funerary objects include 173 pieces of copper, pottery, iron, lacquer, lead, agate, silk fabrics, etc. Among them, the long stone inkstone is grinded and processed from blue-gray shale, and there are conical ink balls placed beside the inkstone. Its unearthed cultural relics are now preserved in the Datong City Museum. ?

Yungang Grottoes

Yungang Grottoes are a national key cultural relic protection unit. It is located on the north bank of Wuzhou River at the foot of Wuzhou Mountain, 16 kilometers west of Datong City. The grottoes are dug into the mountains and stretch for 1 kilometer from east to west. There are 45 main cave caves with more than 1,100 niches and more than 51,000 large and small statues. It is one of the three largest grottoes in the country and a world-famous art treasure house with a history of more than 1,500 years. Large-scale construction began during the Heping period of Emperor Wencheng of the Northern Wei Dynasty (460-465), and it was completed in the fifth year of Zhengguang (524) of Emperor Xiaoming, taking a total of more than 60 years. At first, it was presided over by the famous eminent monk Tan Yao and five caves were opened, namely "Tan Yao's Five Grottoes". Most of the existing caves were excavated before moving to Luo in the 18th year of Taihe (494). Yungang Grottoes are divided into East Area, Middle Area and West Area. The East Zone refers to Cave 1 to Cave 4 at the east end of Yungang Grottoes, all of which are pagoda caves. The first and second caves were excavated before Emperor Xiaowen moved to Luo. A square tower was carved in the center of the cave, with niches for statues on all sides. The main statue of the first cave is Maitreya. On the south side of the pagoda, there is a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha on the lower floor, a statue of Sakyamuni on the upper floor, and a five-story small pagoda in relief. The second cave is the statue of Sakyamuni. The lower floor of the south side of the pagoda is carved with the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, and the upper floor is carved with the Buddha of the Three Generations. The third cave is the largest cave in the Yungang Grottoes. The front wall is about 25 meters high and there are 12 rectangular stone holes in the middle and upper part. It is said that a Tan Yao Sutra Translation Tower was built. The cave is divided into two rooms, the front and back. There is a Buddha and two Bodhisattvas in the back room. The statue has a natural posture, smooth clothing and a plump face. Judging from the clothing and statue style, it is a work from the early Tang Dynasty. The fourth cave is severely weathered and water-eroded. Above the cave door on the south wall is an inscription from the Zhengguang period of the Northern Wei Dynasty, which is the latest inscription in Yungang. The central grotto group includes caves 5 to 20. The fifth and sixth caves are a set of double caves dug before Emperor Xiaowen moved to Luo. In front of the cave are five four-story wooden pavilions built in the eighth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1651), with vermilion columns and glazed tile roofs, which are quite gorgeous. The fifth cave is in the shape of an oval thatched cottage, divided into front and back rooms. The main statue on the north wall of the back room is a seated statue of Sakyamuni, 17 meters high. It is the largest statue in Yungang. The exterior is decorated with clay sculptures from the Tang Dynasty. The cave is full of carved Buddhist niches and statues. On the west side of the cave, there are two Buddhas sitting opposite each other under the bodhi tree. The top is embossed with flying sky and has beautiful lines. The sixth cave is nearly square in plan, with a two-story 15-meter-high tower connecting the top of the cave in the center. The four sides of each floor are carved with statues of Buddha, Bodhisattva, Arhat and Feitian. There are 33 heavens and various rides on the top of the cave. There are 33 stories of Sakyamuni from his birth to becoming a Buddha carved on the walls and around the pillars of the tower. The content is coherent and the composition is exquisite.

This cave has exquisite and skillful carvings, prominent themes, and distinctive images. It is a representative cave among the Yungang caves. The sixth and seventh caves are a set of twin caves, which were the earlier caves excavated in the second phase of Yungang. The planes of both caves are rectangular, and the layout of the caves is layered up and down, and divided into left and right sections. The first three floors of the seventh cave were built with wooden eaves in the eighth year of Shunzhi (1651) in the Qing Dynasty. In the center of the canopy-shaped niche on the north wall of the back room, there is a statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva with crossed legs, sitting on a lion throne, with a seated statue leaning on the left and right. , there are two attendant Bodhisattvas beside it. The east, west and south walls are covered with carved Buddhist niches and statues. There are relief sculptures of flying stars on the top of the cave, each playing a musical instrument, which is lively and circling with the lotus as the center. The dance is light and moving. The entire top of the cave is decorated with flowers. On the west side of the eighth cave, there is a sculpture of Kumarajiva with five heads and six arms riding a peacock; on the east side there is a sculpture of Kumarajiva with three heads and eight arms riding an ox. The ninth to thirteenth caves are Wuhua Cave, named after the clay paintings applied in the Qing Dynasty. The ninth to tenth caves are a set of double caves with a front and rear chamber structure. They were built in the eighth year of Taihe (484) in the Northern Wei Dynasty and completed in the thirteenth year (489). The plane of the two caves is nearly square. The south wall of the front room is carved with octagonal columns. The walls of the room are engraved with Buddhist niches, musicians and dancers. The statues are vivid and beautiful, with unique shapes, smooth clothing and strong dynamic feeling. The main statue of the tenth cave is Maitreya. There is a flying sky in the front room. The figure is beautiful and the proportions are coordinated. The stone carvings on the upper part of the open window are also exquisite. Cave 11 to Cave 13 are a group. The eleventh cave has a cubic tower pillar with niches for statues on all sides. The upper part of the east wall has an inscription on the statue in the seventh year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty (483). The front main room of Cave 12 and the upper parts of the east and west walls are carved with three Buddhist niches imitating wooden houses, with two columns in the front and three doors. On the top of the cave is a sculpture of a musician holding a panpipe, pipa, harp, harp, transverse flute, girdle drum and other musical instruments. It is an important material for studying the history of music. The original statue in Cave 13 is the cross-legged Maitreya Buddha. The statue is 12 meters high. There is a statue of a strong man with an arm carved between his right arm and leg. This is the only one in Yungang. There are statues of seven Buddhas carved on the upper part of the door arch on the south wall, and there are statues of worshipers on the lower part of the east wall, both of which are exquisite products in the cave. The Buddhist niches on the east wall are of various shapes. Wuhua Cave's carvings are gorgeous and colorful, and are precious materials for studying the history, art, music, dance, calligraphy, and architecture of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Cave 14 is severely weathered, with some statues still remaining on the upper part of the west wall and square Buddhist pillars still remaining on the east side. The fifteenth cave is known as the Ten Thousand Buddhas Cave, with more than 10,000 small Buddha statues carved on the walls. The 16th to 20th caves are the "Five Tanyao Caves", with five large statues carved after the five emperors Daowu, Mingyuan, Taiwu, Jingmu and Wencheng as models. These five caves are large in scale and majestic. The most common feature of their shape is that the outer walls are fully carved with thousands of Buddhas. They generally imitate the form of an oval thatched cottage without a back room. The statues are mainly of the third generation Buddha. The main Buddha is tall and occupies the main position in the cave. The standing statue of Sakyamuni in Cave 16 is 13.5 meters high, with a handsome face and a handsome face. In the center of the 17th cave is a seated statue of Maitreya with crossed legs in a Bodhisattva costume. It is 15.6 meters high. The smaller statue in the cave is larger and more aggressive. The main statue of Cave 18 is a standing statue of Sakyamuni wearing the cassocks of a thousand Buddhas. It is 15.5 meters high and majestic. The original statue in Cave 19 is a seated statue of Sakyamuni, 16.8 meters high, and is the second largest statue in Yungang. The 20th cave is an open-air statue. In the middle is a seated Sakyamuni statue, 13.75 meters high. It is a representative work of Yungang Grottoes. It sits in lotus position, with a semicircular face, deep eyes and high nose, large eyes and thin lips, large ears and shoulders, and straight shoulders. The shape is majestic and powerful. The western group of caves includes Cave 21 to Cave 45, as well as some unnumbered small caves and niches, most of which were created after the 18th year of Taihe (494) in the Northern Wei Dynasty. It is characterized by many ungrouped caves, many small and medium-sized caves, and many small niches carved as supplements. Most of the statues are thin and clear, with overlapping pleats on the lower part of the clothes, elegant and beautiful expressions, and elegant and free flying sky in the caisson. They have a strong Chinese style and are very close to Luoyang Longmen sculptures. Among them, the relief sculpture of "The God of Music" on the north wall of Cave 38 is an image material for studying the miscellaneous performers of the Northern Wei Dynasty. There are five-story tower columns in the center of Cave 39. Each side of the tower body has five rooms and six columns. The brackets on the column heads support the eaves. There is no flat seat. The width and height of each floor are smaller than the lower ones. It is steady and elegant. It is a study of early architecture. Important information about the tower. The overall layout of the 40th Grotto cleverly uses decorative art to make the cave format and composition both regular and varied, which improves the artistic style of the grottoes. Yungang Grottoes are famous for their majestic sculptures and rich and colorful contents. The smallest Buddha statue is only 2 centimeters high, and the largest one is 17 meters high. The shape and spirit are very moving. Its carving art inherits and develops the carving art tradition of Qin and Han Dynasties, absorbs and integrates the essence of Gandhara Buddhist art, and has a unique artistic style. , had a profound impact on the development of art in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, occupied an important position in the history of Chinese art, and was also a historical witness of China's friendly exchanges and cultural exchanges with foreign countries. ?

Xuankong Temple

Xuankong Temple is a national key cultural relic protection unit. It is located on the cliff mountainside on the west side of Jinlong Canyon, 3.5 kilometers south of Hunyuan County, southeast of Datong City. It was founded in the late Northern Wei Dynasty (about 471-523), and was repaired in the Tang, Jin, Ming and Qing dynasties. The entire building faces Hengshan Mountain, with a green screen at its back, Daiwei Rock on top, and a deep valley below. The rock walls have no steps and tall buildings stand tall. It is the most spectacular sight of Hengshan Mountain in Beiyue. The entire building layout is one courtyard and two floors. The temple is facing west, with the gate facing south. Climb up the stone path, enter the temple gate, go through the dark corridor, and step into the temple. It is less than 10 meters long and 3 meters wide. On the back cliff is a neat row of two-story halls. The lower level is the Zen room and the Buddhist hall, and the upper level is the Erfo Hall, Taiyi Hall and Guandi Hall. The north and south ends of the temple are each equipped with a square ear pavilion, which is suspended in the air and symmetrical to each other. There is a built-in hanging ladder that connects up and down, with the bottom floor facing outward. One side is built with brick walls and a moon palace-style round window. The two phases are symmetrical and the shape is quite beautiful.

On the ridge top of the Three Buddha Hall, Taiyi Hall and Guandi Hall, there are two auxiliary halls in the north and south, leaning high on the rock niches. They are the Jialan Hall, the Songzi Guanyin Hall, the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Hall and the Thousand-Hand Avalokitesvara Hall. On the base wall of His Royal Highness Thousand-Hand Guanyin, there is a stele of poems by Zheng Luo, the imperial censor of the Ming Dynasty. Going north from the Beier Pavilion, on the cliff to the north of the temple, hang two magnificent three-story, nine-ridge flying towers. Most of the building is suspended in the air, with wooden pillars supported by rocks below, which are no thicker than the mouth of a bowl. The two floors are facing each other from the north to the south, competing for wonders and dangers. There is a cliff several feet in the middle, and a plank road is built to connect it. It is very thrilling. These two flying towers can be climbed on each floor. Inside the tower are the Sakyamuni Palace, the Sanguan Palace, the Chunyang Palace, and the Guanyin Palace. There is also a statue of the Buddha, the leader of Buddhism, the leader of Taoism, Laozi, and the leader of Confucius. In the church hall, three religions live together in one room, which is intriguing. Along the stone wall of the plank road, there are 5 grottoes carved with hundreds of Buddha statues and a monument to the hanging temple built in the 16th year of Jin Dynasty (1176). There are more than 40 large and small halls and pavilions in the whole temple, all of which are made of wood. "There is a corridor for three steps, a floor for five steps, a niche for seven steps, and a pavilion for ten steps. The waist of the corridor is unobtrusive, and the eaves and teeth are high. "Hold the dangerous cliff, intrigue", making full use of the principles of mechanics, half-inserting flying beams as the base, cleverly using rocks to support, the beams and columns are integrated up and down, the corridors are connected to the left and right, and the heights are staggered. There are changes in symmetry, rise and fall in turns, and connections in dispersion. The network is rich in space, with varied levels, backed by cliffs and niches. It is unique, cleverly conceived, and twists and turns. There are 78 various bronze, iron, clay sculpture and stone Buddha statues in the temple, including the third Buddha statue in the Three Buddha Hall, the Ming Dynasty iron Maitreya Buddha statue in the Maitreya Hall, Ananda and Kassapa in the Three Halls. The statues of the three officials in the Sanguan Hall and the stone Buddha statues in the plank road grottoes all have very high artistic value. In the Zen Hall, there is a wood-carved Guanyin niche less than 1 meter high. It is surrounded by lotus flowers and has a flying dragon on the top. It is exquisitely carved and is a rare craftsmanship. Outside the Hanging Temple is the Hengshan Reservoir, which stores 13 million cubic meters of water and irrigates more than 50,000 acres of fertile farmland. The green mountains on both sides are as green as black, and the clear water in the middle is rippled. The water on the overflow gate is like a mountain spring, flowing straight down, and the water, light and mountains are integrated into one, adding beauty to Beiyue. ?

Northern Wei Pingcheng Site

Northern Wei Pingcheng Site is a national key cultural relic protection unit. Located in downtown Datong. From the time when Tuoba moved the capital to Pingcheng in July of the first year of Tianxing (398), to when Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital to Luoyang in the 18th year of Taihe (494), Pingcheng was the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty for 97 years, passing through six emperors and seven generations. At that time, Pingcheng consisted of palace city, capital city and Guocheng. The palace city has been expanded from generation to generation, and its scale is grand. With Taiji Hall as the center, a complete palace complex is formed. It has successively built 24 Tianwen and Tianhua halls, 15 West Palace, Beigong and other palaces, 4 Dongyuan and other palaces, 3 Hualin, Yonglin and other gardens, and more than 10 Taimiao, Taishe and other palaces. Its architectural layout is rigorous and its planning is complete. The palace city of the Northern Wei Dynasty was located outside Beiguan of today's Datong City, centered on Datong Railway Station, and included a large area of ??land including Xinhua Street, Zhanbei Street, Juqian Street, and Zhanqian Street. The capital was repaired by eight tribes of people in June of the second year of Tianci in the Northern Wei Dynasty (405), covering an area of ??about 10 square kilometers. The city's sites are the current Datong City and Nanguan, namely Datong Fucheng and Nanxiaocheng in the Ming Dynasty. Archeology has discovered that the east, west and north city walls of Datong are covered with a layer of rammed earth of about 10 centimeters, which has obvious characteristics of rammed construction in the Northern Wei Dynasty. The capital is composed of lanes, with hundreds of blocks standing side by side, nine thoroughfares facing each other, singing stages, dancing pavilions, and moon halls, so that scholars and common people are separated and do not live together. Guocheng was built in September of the seventh year of Taichang (422) and is located south of the palace city. The Guo City is divided into squares, and lanes are opened in the squares. The large ones can accommodate four to five hundred families, and the small ones can accommodate sixty or seventy families. The palace city is located in the north of Guocheng. Outside the Xuandong Gate outside the north gate of Guocheng, it crosses the Yuhe River in the east to Gucheng Village, and in the west to Liqun Pharmaceutical Factory is the north wall of Guocheng; from Gucheng Village along Dongtangpo to Qijiapo in the south is the east wall of Guocheng; The wall runs from Qijiapo along the south side of Yingbin Road to the south wall of the Carton Factory in the west; the west wall runs from the Carton Factory to Liqun Factory. Guocheng is basically square, with a side length of about 4 kilometers and an area of ??about 16 square kilometers. In recent years, neatly arranged large-scale stone foundations, fragments of bricks and tiles, and "Long Live Wealth" official script tiles have been discovered near Datong Railway Station. In particular, the discovery of the Northern Wei Mingtang and Piyong ruins in Liuhangli outside the south gate made the site of Pingcheng City more clear. . ?

Fangshan Site

Fangshan Site is a key cultural relic protection unit in Shanxi Province. It is located in Xisi Liangshan (known as Fangshan in ancient times) 25 kilometers north of Datong City. It is a huge cemetery built by the Northern Wei Dynasty for Empress Dowager Feng, including Yonggu Mausoleum, Yonggu Stone Chamber, Siyuan Lingtu, Zhaitang, Stone Palace, Lingquan Hall, Lingquan Pool, Grotto Temple, Royal Road, etc. In order to protect the mausoleum, Yonggu County was established nearby. Yonggu Mausoleum was built in the fifth year of Taihe (481) and took 8 years to complete. In September of the fourteenth year of Taihe (490), Empress Dowager Feng was buried here after her death. The entire mausoleum was built on the basalt rock on the top of the mountain. The earth mound is now 22.87 meters high and circular. The base is square, 117 meters long from north to south and 124 meters wide from east to west. The tomb faces south and is located in the center of the tomb. It is a brick multi-chamber tomb, consisting of a tomb passage, a front chamber, a corridor, and a main chamber. There are two doors at the front and rear of the aisle. The stone door at the front end is embossed with a boy holding lotus buds on both sides of the arched lintel, with a round face and a slight smile. A peacock is embossed on the top of the doorpost on the west side. The carving technique is exquisite and the lines are smooth. It is a masterpiece of stone carving art in the Northern Wei Dynasty. The main room is 6.4 meters long from north to south and 6.83 meters wide from east to west. The top of the tomb is in the shape of four corners and is 7.8 meters high. The entire tomb building is regular in shape and large in scale. It is one of the largest tombs in the Southern and Northern Dynasties that has been excavated. This tomb has been stolen many times. When it was cleaned up in 1976, a large number of cultural relics such as stone carvings, copper hairpins, iron arrows, arrowheads, iron spearheads, rings, silk fabric fragments, pottery fragments and other cultural relics were still unearthed.

One kilometer north of the Yonggu Mausoleum, there is a mound of earth about 13 meters high and circular in shape. It was a pre-built mausoleum for Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The bottom of the tomb is square, with each side about 60 meters. The front of the stone tomb door is embossed with a warrior with a sword. The overall structure is the same as that of Yonggu Mausoleum. After Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital to Luoyang, he was not buried here and the tomb became empty. ?

The Monument of Emperor Wencheng's Southern Inspection

The Monument of Emperor Wencheng's Southern Inspection is also known as the "Yushe Monument". It is located on a turtle-shaped platform in the west of Tanghe River, 9 kilometers south of Lingqiu County, southeast of Datong City. The imperial shooting platform is located at the southern end of the platform. The shooting platform is circular, more than 10 meters in diameter and more than 5 meters high. It is made of loess. The Nanxun Monument is erected in the center of the platform north of Yushetai. The stele is 4.4 meters high, 1.2 meters wide and 30 centimeters thick. It has two dragons winding around the left, right and top of the forehead. On the front is written "Ode to the Emperor's Southern Tour". The characters are in small seal script with a length of 21 centimeters and a width of 21 centimeters. The calligraphy is simple and vigorous. The characters on the back of the stele are 1.5 cm long and 1.5 cm wide, and the characters on the front are 3 cm long and 3 cm wide. They are standard and elegant Wei style. The content of the inscription records Emperor Wencheng's four southern tours. In February and March of the second year of Heping (461), Emperor Wencheng visited the Hebei plain and passed by Lingqiu. "There is a mountain in the south of Lingqiu, more than 400 feet high. He ordered the officials to shoot upward at the peak. No one could surpass it. The emperor bent his arc and fired his arrows. , came out of the mountain more than thirty feet, crossed the south of the mountain two hundred and twenty steps, and then published the stone inscription." This stele provides physical historical materials for the study of ancient Chinese history, and the calligraphy on the stele also has high artistic value. This stele was destroyed in the 1920s. There are now 10 fragments of the stele and one stone turtle stele pedestal. ?

Sima Jinlong Tomb

Sima Jinlong Tomb is located in the west of Shijiazhai Village, 7 kilometers southeast of Datong City. It is the tomb of Sima Jinlong and his wife, King Langye Kang of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Sima Jinlong died in the eighth year of Taihe (484). The tomb consists of a front and rear chamber and a right ear chamber, all made of bricks. The total length of the tomb is 17.5 meters, and the tomb passage is 28 meters long. It is the largest tomb discovered in the early Northern Wei Dynasty. The tomb was robbed, but more than 450 precious cultural relics were unearthed, mostly pottery figurines. The figurines of horses carrying grain are a new theme among Ming dynasties. The human-faced tomb beasts, camel figurines and iron stirrups have also never been seen before. The sarcophagus bed, stone column foundations and wood board lacquer paintings are a group of rare art treasures. The carvings and stone pillar bases on the east side of the sarcophagus bed are beautiful in shape and fine in carving. The content is similar to Yungang but more vivid and detailed. The colorful painted screen has fallen into pieces, but there are 5 fragments that can still reflect the original appearance. The content is taken from the story "Biography of Women" by Liu Xiang of the Han Dynasty. The characters have strong lines and light colors, and the inscriptions on the screen are beautiful and strong, which is close to regular script. It is the transition from official script to regular script. typical. Two tomb tablets were also unearthed, both of which were buried with Emperor Xiaowen of the Wei Dynasty in November of the eighth year of Taihe (484). The handwriting on the tablets is intact, the calligraphy and engraving are excellent, and they have the magnanimity of everyone. They are representatives of early Northern Wei calligraphy and are suspected to be Northern Wei calligraphy. Written by Liu Fang. The stele is now in the Datong City Museum. ?

Uncle Yuan’s epitaph

The epitaph of Uncle Yuan was unearthed in the early 1980s in Dongwangzhuang Village at the foot of Baishan Mountain, 10 kilometers east of Datong City. Carved in the first year of Yongping (508) by Tuoba Ke, Emperor Xuanwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the monument is 0.74 meters high (plus the forehead) and 0.42 meters wide. The forehead of the monument is "The tomb inscription of Wei Yuangong" with six large seal script characters. The style is similar to the seal script on the tomb of Sima Jinlong. The forehead is similar, but the calligraphy is slightly inferior. The main text of the epitaph has 24 vertical lines, each line has 27 characters, totaling 511 characters, each character is 2 cm square, in regular script. It records the life experience and merits of the tomb owner, Uncle Yuan, and has historical value. The pens used in his calligraphy are mainly square pens, without losing the strong and simple basic style of Wei stele, and he also uses round pens, which give him a vivid mood. The knotting characters are unique, slightly elongated and full of changes. The posture is strange and the lines are in regular script, which is full of interest. The writing style of the knotting characters is outstanding and independent among the Wei stele. In the late Northern Wei Dynasty, calligraphy gradually formed a calligraphy style that was sharp, clear, strict and full of changes. This epitaph is a milestone in this important change. It is now in the Datong City Museum. ?

Luyeyuan Grottoes

The Luyeyuan Grottoes are located on the north cliff of Dasha River in Xiaoshizi Village, 5 kilometers north of Datong City. It was built during the reign of Emperor Xianwen of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Emperor Xianwen "loved the learning of Huang Lao and Fu Tu". After his Zen throne, he once "yellow crowned plain clothes, observed the precepts and chanted sutras" in the Luyeyuan Grottoes. There are traces of building beam holes on the cliff face, indicating that it has been repaired and expanded in the past dynasties. There are 8 caves now, 30 meters long from east to west. In the central cave there is a Buddha and two attendant Bodhisattvas. The remaining caves are all Zen caves without statues. The central cave is oval in plan, and the Buddha statue occupies most of the cave surface. The Buddha is sitting in the lotus position, with a square face, shoulders level, the right shoulder half exposed, and the folds of his clothes carved in the sun. The Bodhisattva wears a crown on his head, long hair hanging down his shoulders, a necklace on his chest, and a pure vase in his hand, which is simple and vivid. The sculpture style of this cave is exactly the same as that of "Tanyao Five Grottoes". ?

Luban Yao Grottoes

The Luban Yao Grottoes are located on the hills on the west bank of the Shili River in the west of Datong City. Legend has it that the skilled craftsmen who dug the Yungang Grottoes once lived here, hence the name. Based on the style of the existing grotto statues, it can be determined to be a relic of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The grotto sits in the west and faces east, across the river from the Yungang Grottoes. There are two caves, both oval in shape. The first cave is 4 meters deep and 6 meters wide, with a domed roof, four rows of seated statues carved on the surrounding walls, and niches carved implicitly. There are still 34 Buddha statues on the north and west walls. The second cave is 4.17 meters deep, 6.1 meters wide and 4 meters high. There are thousands of Buddha niches carved on the four walls of the room and 66 existing Buddha statues. On both sides of the outer door arch, there is a statue of a worshiper with hands and knees on each side. The Luban Grottoes are of certain value for studying the creation of the Yungang Grottoes and the history of Buddhism in the Northern Wei Dynasty. ?

Wuguantun Grottoes

Wuguantun Grottoes are located in Yungang Valley in the west of Datong City, 8 kilometers northwest of Yungang Grottoes. It is excavated on the cliffs of the riverside, with the Wuzhou River below it. There are 15 caves in total, but the scale is small. There are many cliff statues and niches on the cliffs.

The Buddha statues are thinner than the early Yungang statues, with soft and beautiful postures and fine clothing patterns. Their style and characteristics are similar to those of the late Yungang and early Longmen sculptures. ?

Jiaoshan Temple Grottoes

The Jiaoshan Temple Grottoes are located on the hillside on the north bank of Shili River in Gaoshan Town, 30 kilometers west of Datong City. It got its name because it was built on Jiao Mountain. It is divided into five layers from bottom to top according to the mountain top. Each layer rises and shrinks. There are grottoes on the first and second floors, and grottoes on the third and fourth floors. There are murals and clay Buddha statues in the caves. There are rectangular holes and rafter bowls on the top of the door arch, which shows that there were eaves in the early years. There are Buddhist niches carved on the left and right walls in front of the cave. Judging from the shape of the Buddha statues and the style of clothing, they are works of the late Northern Wei Dynasty. The fifth floor is the commanding height of the temple, with a three-story hexagonal brick tower built on it, more than 10 meters high, built in the Ming Dynasty. This temple has a reasonable layout, is elegant and simple, is surrounded by mountains and water, and has pleasant scenery. ?

Quhui Temple Stone Tomb

Quhui Temple Stone Tomb is a key cultural relic protection unit in Shanxi Province. It is located near Quhuisi Village, Sanlou Township, Southwest Lingqiu County, southeast of Datong City, 75 kilometers away from the county seat. It was built during the Tianbao period of Tang Dynasty. "In the tenth year of Tianbao, he was ordered to build 360 stone pagodas." The stone tower is the stone statue tomb. Its distribution range is about 20 square kilometers, covering most of the southwestern part of Lingqiu Nanshan. It has been determined that 43 stone Buddha tombs are mainly distributed in the Jiulonggang and Qiye Mountain areas behind Quhuisi Village. The appearance of the tomb is like a mound of earth and stone. Generally, the tomb is 3 to 4 meters high and has a circumference of about 30 meters. The top and bottom of the tomb are built with local white granite stones and are rectangular stone frames, about 6 meters long and 1.5 meters wide. The upper part of the stone frame is capped with granite strips arranged in rows, and earth is piled on top in the shape of a tomb mound. There are human figures in relief on the sealing stone, and the monk's name is engraved above each portrait. The right end of the sealing stone is engraved with the dates of the construction of the tomb, such as "the first year of Tianbao", "the tenth year of Tianbao", etc. On the center line of the tomb, there are various numbers of white granite stone statues neatly arranged in front, back, left and right (for example, there are 30 seated Buddhas in each of the two Buddhist tombs on the four pagodas). The stone statues are Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or donors. The larger ones are 1.5 meters, while the smaller ones are less than 0.3 meters. There are round sculptures and semi-round sculptures, ranging from sitting to standing, with different shapes and lifelike shapes. Such a large-scale stone Buddha tomb group is rare at home and abroad. ?

The Great Mosque

The Great Mosque is located at No. 19, Jiulou Lane, Daxi Street, in the city. It was built in the second year of Zhenguan (628) in the Tang Dynasty. Most of the existing buildings are from the Qing Dynasty. The temple faces west and has simple architecture. The forehead of the door is carved in Chinese characters. It covers an area of ??more than 20 acres and is rectangular in plan. There is a downward slope from the temple gate to the mosque. The layout is reasonable, the structure is rigorous, clean and solemn. On the central axis there are the main entrance, the cross-passing pavilion, the stone bridge and the worship hall. There are auxiliary rooms, bathing rooms, etc. on the left and right. The main body is composed of four groups of adjacent halls. The front is a rolling shed-style Baodao, and the back is two groups of halls with a resting top and a hard top. The latter group is a mixed structure with a rolling shed roof and a round spire. The shape of the entire building has undulating eaves and is full of changes. It not only maintains the ancient Chinese wooden architectural style, but also has Arab cultural characteristics. ?

Ancient porcelain kiln ruins

The ancient porcelain kiln ruins are key cultural relics protection units in Shanxi Province. It is located in Guciyao Village, Qingciyao Township, Hunyuan County, southeast of Datong City. Remaining porcelain pieces scattered on the ground can be seen everywhere. The porcelain glaze is mostly white, with a small amount of dark brown and yellow-brown glaze. Some utensils are not glazed on the outside but glazed on the inside, or are covered with dark brown glaze on the outside and white glaze on the inside. Generally, the utensils have no patterns, but there are also individual black-color paintings, carvings, and flower-cuts. The utensils include bowls, plates, jars, etc., which are relics from the prosperous Tang Dynasty. ?

The spectacular stele

The spectacular stele was originally located on the porch of Shanghuayan Temple and is now stored in the stele gallery of the Datong City Museum. The monument is 2.35 meters high and 0.85 meters wide. There are two large regular script characters "spectacular" engraved on it, with a diameter of 60 centimeters. The rules are strict, the structure is stable, and there is no weak point in any stroke. There is no date of inscription on the stone, but the word "Taibai" is faintly visible in the upper right corner. Legend has it that at the age of 35, Li Bai was invited by Yuan Yan to travel to Taiyuan, climb the Great Wall in the north, and pass the Hengshan Mountain. He once wrote the word "spectacular" inscribed on it, and later generations often "copied it to carve stones." Fang Tan, a man from the Qing Dynasty, wrote a poem "Ink Engraving of the Two Characters "Spectacular" in Taibai": "The green cliffs are in a trance and the dragons are walking, and the word "spectacular" is as big as a bucket. When Li Bai visited Hengyue, he was so happy that the famous mountain fell into my hands. Pingsha The vast yellow clouds are blooming, and the dragon head of Yanmen is green and green. I think of the real person descending from the sky, and the autumn wind blows from thousands of miles away. "This poem fully brings out the elegant style of Hengshan's inscription." ?

Huayan Temple

Huayan Temple is a national key cultural relic protection unit. Located in the southwest corner of Datong City, it is named after the temple belonging to the Huayan Sect of Buddhism. Huayan Temple is divided into upper and lower temples. Shanghuayan Temple has a rigorous layout, with the main hall being the main hall. It is divided into two courtyards, including the mountain gate, the Guo Hall, the Guanyin Pavilion, the Ksitigarbha Pavilion and the corridors on both sides. The levels are staggered and the levels are distinct. The Main Hall is the main hall of the upper temple. The main hall is located on a 4-meter-high platform. The platform is 33.3 meters long from north to south and 18.9 meters wide from east to west. The main hall faces west to east, which is related to the Khitan custom of "believing in ghosts and worshiping the sun". The main hall is 53.75 meters wide with 9 rooms, 29 meters deep with 5 rooms, and covers an area of ??1,559 square meters. It is one of the largest Buddhist temple halls in the country. The columns are set up as a variation of the bottom trough of the gold box bucket, and the column reduction and column shifting method is used to expand the front space area and facilitate Buddha worship activities.

Hall height 7.4