Tongtian Rock Explained
The Tongtian Rock[2], 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]
Notes and References
- Book: David Leffman. Simon Lewis. Martin Zatko. The Rough Guide to China. 14 November 2013. Rough Guides. 978-1-4093-5179-5. 566–.
- Book: China Tourism, Issues 196-202. 1996. HK China Tourism Press.
- Web site: Grottos on Tongtian Cliff. 15 February 2008. Chinaculture.org.
- Web site: Take you to see the ancient art treasures. 2013-04-20. Sina.com.cn.
- Web site: List of suitable cities for retirement in Jiangxi. 2013-06-22. Sina.com.cn.
- News: Tongtian Rock Scenic Area. https://web.archive.org/web/20200801090449/http://news.cri.cn/gb/27824/2011/07/29/5311s3322018.htm. dead. 2011-07-29. 2020-08-01. China Radio International.
- Web site: Geo-environment characteristics of weathering deterioration of Tongtianyan Carved Stone Relics, China. 18 July 2017. American Geosciences Institute.
- Web site: The First Grotto in Jiangnan. 2010-09-16. China Times.
- Book: Abstracts of academic works of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Social Sciences Literature Press. 1993. 978-7-80050-774-8.
