Gaohuanyun Cave

CHINA, Shanxi, Jinzhong

Gaohuanyun Cave, located on the north cliff face of a mountain valley 20 km southeast of Zuoxian county, was constructed during the Eastern Wei dynasty (534–550). This single cave is listed as a Provincial Cultural Heritage Site.
The cave faces south and consists of a portico and a main chamber. The 13.8 m wide, 9 m high, and 2.3 m deep portico is supported by four octagonal columns and appears as a three-bay wide imitation timber structure. The two inner columns have bases shaped like inverted basins and a rounded shaft decorated with lotus patterns. The lotus capitals and the outer two octagonal columns are unfinished.
The main chamber is 5.2 m wide, 6.5 m high, and 3.14 m deep. The cave walls and ceiling are uneven and do not have any traces of niche sculptures. From the width of the portico and the position of the windows above the eaves, it is presumed that the main chamber was intended to be much larger in scale but was not completed according to plan.
The external appearance of Gaohuanyun Cave is similar to the Grottoes 4 (Central Grotto) and 9 (North Grotto) at the North Xiangtangshan Grottoes, which were constructed no later than the Northern Qi dynasty (550–577). According to records in the Liaozhou Gazetteer from the Yongzheng Period, Gaohuanyun Cave was constructed as a summer retreat for Gao Huan, a prime minister of the Eastern Wei dynasty. Yecheng (present day Linzhang, Hebei) was the capital of the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi dynasties, and Jinyang (present day Taiyuan, Shanxi) was the summer capital. The imperial family traveled frequently between the two capitals, often passing this location, providing further confirmation that the cave was constructed for Gao Huan.