Tongtian Rock

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Tongtian Rock
Tongtian Cliff
Grottoes on Tongtian Rock
LocationGanzhou, Jiangxi[1]

The Tongtian Rock[2] (Chinese: 通天岩), or Tongtian Cliff,[3] is a danxia landform scenic spot,[4] located in Shuixi Town, Zhanggong District, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, China. It is said that "in the north of China, there is Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, in the south of China, there is Ganzhou Tongtian Rock".[5]

The grottoes of Tongtian Rock were excavated in the Tang dynasty and flourished in the Northern Song dynasty. There are still 359 stone niche statues from the Tang dynasty to the Song dynasty and 128 stone carvings from the Song dynasty to the Republic of China,[6] making it the largest Buddhist cave temple in the Jiangnan area and therefore known as the "First Grotto in the South of China".[7]

Tongtian Rock is the southernmost grotto geographically located in Mainland China.[8] Wang Yangming and other famous poets and literary men once carved inscriptions here.[9]

References[edit]

  1. ^ David Leffman; Simon Lewis; Martin Zatko (14 November 2013). The Rough Guide to China. Rough Guides. pp. 566–. ISBN 978-1-4093-5179-5.
  2. ^ China Tourism, Issues 196-202. HK China Tourism Press. 1996.
  3. ^ "Grottos on Tongtian Cliff". Chinaculture.org. 15 February 2008.
  4. ^ "Take you to see the ancient art treasures". Sina.com.cn. 2013-04-20.
  5. ^ "List of suitable cities for retirement in Jiangxi". Sina.com.cn. 2013-06-22.
  6. ^ "Tongtian Rock Scenic Area". China Radio International. 2011-07-29. Archived from the original on 2020-08-01.
  7. ^ "Geo-environment characteristics of weathering deterioration of Tongtianyan Carved Stone Relics, China" (PDF). American Geosciences Institute. 18 July 2017.
  8. ^ "The First Grotto in Jiangnan". China Times. 2010-09-16.
  9. ^ Abstracts of academic works of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Social Sciences Literature Press. 1993. ISBN 978-7-80050-774-8.