A Comparative Study Of Yungang Grottoes And Xiangtangshan Grottoes

Yungang Grottoes,one of the three major grottoes in China,is the epitomization of early Chinese Buddhist art and occupies a very high position in the history of Chinese Buddhism and architecture.Xiangtangshan Grottoes,located in Fengfeng Mining area,Handan City,Hebei Province,is an important grottoes temple built in the period of Eastern Wei and Northern Qi,and also a treasure of Buddhist art in Chinese history.From the perspective of time span,although there is a certain time difference between Yungang Grottoes and Xiangtangshan Grottoes,some aspects of Xiangtangshan grottoes can reflect the inheritance and development of Yungang Grottoes.Also as the product of power politics,they were presided over by the royal family,and their status in the history of cultural exchange between China and the West cannot be ignored.This paper will be studied from the following aspects: First,through the analysis of the construction background of Yungang Grottoes and Xiangtangshan Grottoes,to show the similarities between the two and highlight the feasibility of their comparison.Second,the comparison of the grottoes of Yungang Grottoes and Xiangtangshan Grottoes focuses on the comparison of the tower and pillar grottoes and the temple grottoes to find the correlation and differences and highlight the change characteristics of Xiangtangshan grottoes in the grottoes’ shape.Third,compare the statues of Yungang Grottoes and Xiangtangshan Grottoes.The characteristics of the statues of Xiangtangshan Grottoes are analyzed respectively according to Buddha and Bodhisattva,and the description of the characteristics of the statues of Yungang Grottoes is discussed by using the theory of three periods,which is popular in the academic circle.Through comparison,the great contrast between the characteristics of the statues of Xiangtangshan Grottoes and the second and third periods of Yungang Grottoes is found,and the reasons for the contrast are explored.Fourthly,compare the decorative patterns of Yungang Grottoes with those of Xiangtangshan Grottoes to explore the external factors presented by Xiangtangshan grottoes on the basis of inheriting Yungang Grottoes.Fifth,the paper focuses on the first tower-shaped grottoes in Xiangtangshan grottoes,and divides them into two periods according to the years.In different periods,the tower-shaped grottoes have different functions.Sixth,the research on the phenomenon of sutra carving in the Grottoes of Xiangtangshan,firstly analyzes the statues in Yungang Grottoes and the possible phenomenon of sutra carving,and then through the content and distribution of the sutra carving in the grottoes of Xiangtangshan,analyzes the causes and background of its emergence.Finally,by combining the historical background of the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi dynasties with the development of Buddhist thought,the reasons for the great changes in the Xiangtangshan Grottoes compared with the Yungang Grottoes are analyzed.