Earth:Grotto-heavens
Grotto-heavens (Chinese: 洞天; pinyin: Dòngtiān) are a type of sacred Taoist site. Grotto-heavens are usually caves, grottoes, mountain hollows, or other underground spaces.
In the Tang dynasty, immortals were thought to lived in certain immortal cave-heaven lands existed between heaven and earth, shrouded by colorful clouds; wonderful flowers, peach trees and fragrant grass were often said to have grown there.[1]
Because every community was supposed to have access to at least one grotto, there were many of them all over China . They were first organized systematically in Tang times by Sima Chengzhen (司馬承禎) (647–735, see Zuowanglun) and Du Guangting (杜光庭) (850-933).[2] The most sacred of these sites were divided into two types: The ten greater grotto-heavens and the thirty-six lesser grotto-heavens.[3]
Locations of the ten greater grotto-heavens are as follows:
- Mt. Wangwu grotto 王屋山 (Henan)
- Mt. Weiyu grotto 委羽山 (Zhejiang)
- Mt. Xicheng grotto 西城山 (Shanxi)
- Mt. Xixuan grotto 西玄山 (Sichuan)
- Mt. Qingcheng grotto 青城山 (part of Huashan, Shanxi)[citation needed]
- Mt. Chicheng grotto 赤城山 (Guangdong)
- Mt. Luofu grotto 羅浮山 (Guangdong)
- Mt. Gouqu grotto 句曲山 (Jiangsu, in Lake Tai)
- Mt. Linwu grotto 林屋山 (on Maoshan, Jiangsu)
- Mt. Kuocang grotto 括蒼山 (Zhejiang)
References
Sources
- Kohn, Livia, ed. Daoism Handbook (Leiden: Brill, 2000).
See also
- Buddhist grottoes (China)
- Longmen Grottoes
- Mogao Caves
- Yungang Grottoes
- Sacred Mountains of China
- Xianren Cave
- Beyul
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