Shuanglin Grottoes

Shuanglin Grottoes is a newly established scenic spot in the Dafo Temple Scenic Area, following the open-air Maitreya, Prajna Valley, and Dinosaur Park. This site, once a quarry during the Ming and Qing dynasties, has been transformed with the construction of plank roads, tunnels, and the creation of Buddhas against the mountain, resulting in the large cave space and massive reclining Buddha statue that are present today. The Reclining Buddha Hall has become another tourist attraction themed around Buddhist culture after the ‘First Buddha of Jiangnan’, adding luster to the ‘Yue Kingdom Dunhuang’ Dafo Temple.
From the entrance of Dafo Temple, 300 meters to the left, the first sight is the stone tablet of Shuanglin Grottoes. Beyond the tablet lies the Mirror Lake. Ascending from the left, after climbing 200 steps and passing through the winding and secluded rock caves, one arrives at the hall’s front. The hall’s gate is divided into seven sections, majestic and solemn, with a single eave and double upturned ends, intricate brackets, and well-proportioned, reflecting the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty. On the left and right cliffs, relief techniques are used to carve the 7-meter-tall figures of the ‘Heng’ and ‘Ha’ generals, grand in scale and heroic in demeanor.

Upon entering the arched gate is the front hall, with the two caves on the left and right being the Bodhisattvas Manjushri and Samantabhadra. Manjushri rides a blue lion, symbolizing fierceness, holding scriptures, and is the foremost disciple of the Buddha, known for his wisdom and eloquence, assisting in the propagation of the Buddha’s teachings and leading among the Bodhisattvas. Venerating Manjushri can dispel ignorance and seek a wise heart, unlocking wisdom. Samantabhadra sits on a six-tusked white elephant, symbolizing peace and spiritual power, and represents the truth. The heads of both the blue lion and the white elephant face outward, indicating the protection of the Buddhist teachings.

---

Entering the main hall, one is greeted with a sense of harmony and sanctity. The main hall is also a grotto, 23 meters deep and 48 meters wide, carved from the original mountain body into a reclining Buddha statue. The reclining Buddha lies peacefully on a Sumeru lotus throne, with a statue length of 37 meters and a height of 9 meters. The image of the reclining Buddha references the Buddhas of Dunhuang, Longmen, and the Temple of Heaven. From the hair to the facial features, from the lines of the robe to the angle of the hands and feet, the design has been deliberated and revised by domestic authoritative experts and high monks, finally settling on this plan. The site is open from 05/01 to 09/30 from 06:00 to 17:30; and from 10/01 to 04/30 from 06:00 to 17:00.

---