The grottoes lie in the Tianlong Mountains, 40 kilometers southwest ofthe city of Taiyuan. Surrounded by mountains and lush, dense trees, the area around Tianlongshan Grottoes enjoys a beautiful landscape and moderate climate. Not far from the grottoes is Tianlong Temple which was built in the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577). The construction of the Buddhist-statue grottoes can be traced back to the dynasty of Eastern Wei (534-550).

The grottoes have 24 caves scattered in the cliffs halfway up the western and eastern peaks ofthe Tianlong Mountains. On the steep cliff is Manshan Pavilion. The wooden structure, more than 10 meters high, looks very grand. The exquisite stone statue of Buddha standing on a lotus flower with a patch of blue sky on his head is a model of decorum and uprightness.