响堂山石窟

Xiangtangshan

Useful Information

Location:	Fengfeng Mining District, Handan 056202. (36.5336205, 114.1548110)
Open:	All yera daily 8-17. [2026]
Fee:	free. [2026]
Classification:	Cave Church, Buddhist cave temples
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Katherine R. Tsiang et al. (2010): Echoes of the Past: The Buddhist Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan Chicago: The David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, 2010. (2007): The Xiangtangshan Caves Project: An Overview and Progress Report with New Discoveries Orientations, 38/6 (2007).
Address:	Xiangtangshan, Fengfeng Mining District, Handan 056202, Tel: +86-28-8556-8253, Tel: +86-310-5050222.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

6th century	first caves created.
1961	on the list of monuments of the People’s Republic of China in Hebei.
1982	declared provincial-level cultural relics protection units by the Hebei Provincial People's Government.
2012	designated a national scenic area by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.
AUG-2023	damaged during a rainstorm.

Description

The artificial limestone caves of 响堂山石窟 (Xiangtangshan Grottoes or Xiang Tang Shan, pronounced "shahng-tahng-shahn", Mountain of Echoing Halls) were built during the 6th century, during the Northern Qi dynasty (550-577). The caves are today only a shadow of their original beauty, because they were looted in the first half of the 20th century. The artworks were removed and sold on the international art market. This era was quite productive in artwork, although it lasted only 27 years. Their main achievement were this Buddhist caves with their stone sculptures and engraved inscriptions. The Northern Qi capital was not far away and so they were obviously sponsored.

Xiangtangshan is the name of a series of caves, in all there are 36 caves in three groups. There are three groups called 北响堂山 (Běi Xiǎngtángshān, Northern Mountain of Echoing Halls), 小响堂山 (Xiǎo Xiǎngtángshān, Small Mountain of Echoing Halls), and 南响堂山 (Nán Xiǎngtángshān, Southern Mountain of Echoing Halls).

Around 2007 an exhibition was created by the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian. It is a series of 3D computer images, which are a reconstruction of the lost sculptures. The exhibition is actually a better way to see the caves than the original caves in China. Unfortunately with the renovation of the museum in 2017 the original exhibition was removed. We guess there are still some exhibits on display.