The Shifoan Grottoes are located on the southwestern side of Mountain Shewu at Huashu village, Jiangning, Nanjing. They were built during the early Ming Dynasty for Buddhist purpose. Six grottoes are available to see with each housing one Buddha statue themed as the Three Saints in the West or One Thousand Buddhas. Investigations show that many more Buddha grottoes are still earthed calling for further excavations. With exact time records and colored paintings, Shifoan Grottoes are the very rare early Ming products of Buddhist art that have been discovered in Nanjing area. They provide valuable data for studying the Buddhist art of the Ming Dynasty and therefore have high historical and cultural values.
