Buddhist Mother Cave, Rebirth through the Sacred Grotto
165 Wulongkou Street, Xinghualing District, Taiyuan City, telephone 0351-2389052
4.7
Introduction
Qianfo Cave, also known as the Buddha Mother Cave, is a rock cave dedicated to the worship of Shakyamuni Buddha. According to Buddhist scriptures, Buddha Mother refers to the biological mother of Shakyamuni Buddha. The image of Qianfo Cave in Wutai Mountain perfectly matches the scene of Buddha's birth as described in Buddhist scriptures. From the inside of the cave, the shape of the rock cave resembles a pregnant woman's abdomen, with a milky-white spine and rib-like rock on the right side, indicating that the cave entrance is located on the right rib section. This matches the description in Buddhist stories of the bodhisattva entering the womb from under the right rib while riding a white elephant, and the prince being born from under the right rib.
The rock cave consists of an outer cave and an inner cave. The entrance of the outer cave is open, and the walls gradually narrow until a small passage leads to the inner cave. The construction of the inner cave is very mysterious. Although the entrance is small, even a person weighing 200 pounds can easily enter with sincerity and faith. However, if there are heavy karmic obstacles, even a person weighing only 80 pounds cannot enter. The inner cave contains stalactites and stalagmites, with colorful and varied shapes that resemble the internal organs of the human body. By entering the cave with a sincere heart, people can be reborn in the embrace of the Buddha Mother and receive her grace and nourishment, while coming out of the cave can be seen as the Buddha Mother's reincarnation, experiencing a rebirth and a new beginning. Address 165 Wulongkou Street, Xinghualing District, Taiyuan City, telephone 0351-2389052
Opening hours 07:00-18:00 (Monday-Sunday, January 1-December 31)
Transportation The attraction is located in the Wutai Mountain Scenic Area, and there are several ways to reach Wutai Mountain:
By bus: Take the Taiyuan-Wutai Mountain shuttle bus from Taiyuan Passenger Transport East Station between 6:40 and 18:30. Buses depart every half hour to one hour depending on the number of passengers, and the fare is 73 yuan/person. The journey takes about 4 hours. (Address of Taiyuan Passenger Transport East Station: No.165, Wulongkou Street, Xinghualing District, Taiyuan City, Tel: 0351-2389052)
By train: Three trains depart from Taiyuan Station to Wutai Mountain every day at 7:28, 19:15, and 22:05, with a journey time of 4-6 hours and a fare of 15.5-37.5 yuan for hard seats. Wutai Mountain Station is located in Shahe Town, Fanshi County, 54 kilometers away from the scenic area. There is a bus to Taihuai Town in front of the train station, with a fare of 20 yuan/person and a journey time of 2 hours.
To reach Wanfo Cave, you can walk up 1580 steps from Baiyun Temple or take a horse ride for 80 yuan one way or 130 yuan round trip.