Longshan Grottoe

Cultural Heritage - The Railroad II (English version)：The Relics and Rhymes of North China

The Qingdao-Taiyuan High-Speed Railway has a total length of 770 km. With its western terminus in Taiyuan, it passes through Shijiazhuang and Jinan to reach its eastern terminus in the coastal city of Qingdao, crossing North China in an east-west direction.

While countless Buddhist grottoes have been built throughout Chinese history, Taoist grottoes are few and far between. The Longshan Grottoes in Taiyuan are the biggest and best preserved Taoist grottoes in China.

The construction of the Great Wall of Qi began during the Spring and Autumn Period. With more than 2,600 years of history, it was built 400 years before its Qin counterpart, and is therefore known as the “Father of the Great Wall of China”.

Meanwhile, the works for Longxing Temple in Shijiazhuang commenced in the sixth year of the first Sui dynasty emperor’s reign, i.e. AD 586. An awe-inspiring masterpiece is housed in Moni Hall - the colourful wall sculpture of Guanyin, commonly known as the Sitting Guanyin, which dates back to the Song dynasty.

Lujialing Village lies 820 m above sea level. Built against the mountains, the settlement looks out onto precipitous cliffs, hence its reputation as the “Village on the Clouds”.

Chaquan was transmitted to Shandong from Xinjiang more than 400 years ago. It is now a national intangible cultural heritage. 74-year-old Gao Henglun has been practising martial arts since the age of eight. He is the fifth generation successor of Yang Style Chaquan.

Qingdao was once a German Concession during the beginning of the last century. The literati were drawn here to live and create in the Republic of China Period. Upon arrival in Yushan District, which is known as the “Path of the Literati”, you will find the former residences of Shen Congwen, Liang Shiqiu, Xiao Hong, and Wen Yiduo. Faint traces of their literary spirit can still be felt along the bluestone path they once treaded upon.

Executive Producer/ Producer: Tom Chan
Assistant Producer: Wong Yuk-wah

Long Shan Grottoes

The Tianlongshan Grottoes (Chinese: 天龙山石窟, pinyin: Tiānlóngshān Shíkū, English: Mountain of the Heavenly Dragon) are caves located in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China, that are notable for the Buddhist temples located within them. The temple complex spans two mountains: there are eight grottoes on the eastern mountain and 13 on the western mountain. The complex was constructed over a number of centuries, from the northern Qi dynasty until the Tang Dynasty and contains Buddhist art of high historic importance. The majority of the caves date to the Tang dynasty.The caves have been designated by the government as a major historical and Cultural Site protected at the National Level.

Taiyuan

Taiyuan, Jinyang) is the capital and largest city of North China's Shanxi province. It is one of the main manufacturing bases of China. Throughout its long history, Taiyuan was the capital or provisional capital of many dynasties in China, hence the name Longcheng.


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