Only 0/6 northern Wei and Northern Dynasties grottoes/kloc-were found in Shaanxi, mainly distributed in Tongchuan and Yan 'an. Caves are generally small in scale, with a width and height of about l meters, so that it is difficult to distinguish caves from niches. Statue niches are mostly arched or pointed, and some are decorated with double lotus columns. The statue combination is mainly composed of one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas, and the supporters of Tian Fei and Khufu. Yijun's Fudi Grottoes were excavated in the first year of the Western Wei Dynasty (535). There are pointed arches in the three walls of the cave, a Buddha and two Bodhisattvas are carved in the main niche of the back wall, a small Buddha and a flying geisha are carved in the lintel, and a Taoist Buddha statue is carved in the left niche. The sculpture style is simple and solemn, and it is called "Taoist" and "Taoist" in the vows. It is the earliest mixed Buddhist and Taoist grottoes discovered so far.
During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, more than 40 grottoes were discovered, concentrated in Binxian, Linyou, Yaoxian and Yijun in Guanzhong, Ganquan and Ansai in northern Shaanxi. The scale of grottoes has obviously increased, mainly Buddhist temples and elephant grottoes, with concave, straight or square grottoes. The main cave of Binxian Buddha Temple, which was excavated in the second year of Tang Zhenguan (628), is nearly horseshoe-shaped, with a width of 34.5 meters, a height of about 28 meters and a depth of 18 meters. Its inner stone tire is painted sculpture of three saints in the west, and the main Buddha, Sakyamuni, is 20.4 meters high and is the largest Buddha in Shaanxi. There are 136 grottoes and nearly 1500 statues from the Northern Dynasties to the Ming Dynasty near the main grottoes. Linyou Cishan Temple Grottoes were excavated in the Sui Dynasty, mostly in the early Tang Dynasty and later. There are 10 niches and 45 statues in the three caves. Its statues are elegant and elegant, and it is the most exquisite and well-preserved Sui and Tang grottoes in the province. The Sui and Tang Grottoes in northern Shaanxi are generally small in scale, and the largest is the Hong Shi Temple Grottoes in Fuxian County. In the center of the main cave, there are four square columns at the four corners of the altar, and there are statues of a Buddha, two bodhisattvas and two disciples on the altar. The cave walls and pillars are covered with thousands of buddhas, bodhisattvas and customers.
During the Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, more than 90 grottoes were discovered, mainly in Yan 'an area. They are not only numerous, but also skilled in techniques, and their themes tend to be realistic and secular, reaching another peak in the art of cave temples in Shaanxi. The grottoes in this period were mainly Buddhist temples, and large grottoes often built various screens or stone pillars on Buddhist temples, which may be an evolution form of the early central pagoda grottoes. Zichang Zhongshan Grottoes were built in the Northern Song Dynasty. The main grottoes are16.7m wide and 5.5m high, and there are three grottoes. There are eight square stone pillars in front of and behind the central Buddhist altar, and there are three groups of 16 circular carved Buddha statues on the altar. There are statues of Bodhisattva, Lohan and Lux beside the altar, and more than 10,000 large and small Buddha statues are densely embossed on the cave walls and stone pillars, which are beautifully carved, lifelike and full of personality. The entrance of Shuanglong Grottoes in the Northern Song Dynasty in Huangling was carved into a three-bay veranda imitating wood structure, and the grottoes were divided into two parts: tunnels and grottoes. In the center of the cave, there is a top shadow wall carved on three sides of the concave Buddha altar, and statues of Buddha III are placed on the altar. Buddha, bodhisattva, disciple, arhat, etc. Embossed on the cave walls and shadow walls. The two walls of the tunnel are also carved with sunshine, moonlight bodhisattva and nirvana, which are diverse and lifelike. The confluence of Buddhism and Taoism in Shaanxi grottoes became popular in the Song Dynasty and later, forming a major feature of Shaanxi grottoes, and the Shigongmiao Grottoes in Ganquan in the Northern Song Dynasty is a prominent example. The plane of the cave is square with eight diagrams at the top. The third Buddha is placed on the square altar, and there are three niches on the left and right walls of the cave, which are carving Bodhisattva, Taishang Laojun and Sakyamuni Duobao respectively. There are seven niches in the back wall, with a Taoist statue in the middle and Buddha statues in the rest. Yao County Mountain Cliff Statue Jin Dynasty Temple is also a typical confluence of Buddhism and Taoism. The Thousand Buddha Cave Grottoes in the Yuan Dynasty in Xunyang, southern Shaanxi, are long and narrow, with a width of more than 4 meters and a depth of 12 meters. There are two I-shaped Buddhist altars on the back wall of the cave, and the Buddha statues are placed in seven layers on both sides, which is quite strange.
More than 130 grottoes were discovered in Ming dynasty, and a few were discovered in Qing dynasty, mainly distributed in northern Shaanxi and southern Shaanxi. The characteristics of the confluence of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism in grottoes are more prominent, and the images of Lohan, Daofo, Founder and Eight Immortals appear in large numbers. Among these caves, the scale of northern Shaanxi is generally small, and the Buddhist altar or Taoist altar in the cave is in the shape of "I", square, "concave" or central square, with more murals and clay sculptures. In southern Shaanxi, a considerable number of caves are made of natural caves, and the holes are sealed with stone walls. Besides stone carvings and clay sculptures, there are many wood carvings in the cave. The Niutou Temple Grottoes in Mianxian County are made of strips of stones, which are circular on the plane. It is rare that the three-story strip on the back wall is carved with large and small Buddha statues, and the eight-story strip on both sides is carved with more than a thousand small Buddha statues.
Up to now, more than 300 statues 1 100 have been found in Shaanxi, including the statues of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Western Wei Dynasty, the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty, the Five Dynasties and the Northern Song Dynasty, among which the statues of the Northern Wei Dynasty and the Northern Dynasty account for about two-thirds. Most of them are concentrated in Yaoxian, Tongchuan, Fuping, Chunhua, Changwu, Jingyang, Fufeng, Luochuan and other places in northern Shaanxi. There are more than 100 links in Wang Yao alone, which is the largest number of statues in China.
The themes of Shaanxi statues can be divided into three categories: Buddhism, Taoism and mixed themes of Buddhism and Taoism, which are characterized by simple style, clumsy modeling and no attention to decoration. Monuments are generally about 1 m high, and the largest one is more than 2 meters high. Early monuments are often a little bit, and individual monuments are through. There are niches on one side, two sides, three sides or four sides, in which buddhas, bodhisattvas or gods and waiters are embossed, and around the niches, there are shallow sculptures of heavenly kings, patrons, buildings, tourist maps, etc. , and there are vows of Han nationality or the surnames of ethnic minorities such as Xiqiang, Di, Xiongnu and Xianbei, which are precious materials for studying the development of Buddhism and Taoism at that time and the history, calligraphy and art of northern ethnic minorities. Among them, the famous "Wei Wenlang Buddha Monument" in the first year of the Northern Wei Dynasty in Yaoxian County (424), in which there are two statues of Sakyamuni and Tianzun carved in the main niche of Beiyang, and there are vows carved under the niche. Yao County Northern Wei Dynasty "Yao Boduo Buddha Monument", the calligraphy is simple and vigorous, a must. The "Liu Wenlang Statue Monument" in Luochuan Northern Wei Dynasty is decorated with rich western-style patterns on the side; The "Statue Monument of Avalokitesvara" in the Northern Zhou Dynasty in Yaoxian County has the theme of Avalokitesvara both inside and outside the niche, which is extremely rare. Yao County Northern Zhou Dynasty "Jian 'an Tathagata Buddha Monument" carved eaves, dragons, flying and pagodas from bottom to top, with complex and regular layout and exquisite carving, which is a rare treasure. The rest, such as the statue of Fu Qing in the Northern Wei Dynasty in Yaoxian County, the statue of Maoxia in the Western Wei Dynasty, and the statue of Xianming in the Sui Dynasty, are all fine works in sculpture.
In Guanzhong and northern Shaanxi, there are still more than 60 Buddhist scriptures from the Northern Dynasties to the Jin Dynasty, few of which are well preserved, and most of them are just buildings. The classic building of Hutou Mountain in Tongchuan was built in the first year of Tang Changqing (82 1). Buddha, earth and beast are embossed on the pedestal. The octagonal building is carved with Buddha's top, which is superior to the Dalagni classics. The top of the building is carved with bodhisattvas, flying people, chariots and horses, beasts and so on. It is a fine crystallization of Buddhist stone carving art in Tang Dynasty.