The Longshan Grottoes, carved into the hillside above Tianlongshan during the Yuan dynasty, are unique in Chinese religious art history: the only rock-cut grotto complex dedicated to Taoist deities rather than Buddhist figures. The complex was commissioned by the Quanzhen Taoist priest Song Defang and contains eight caves with carved figures of Taoist deities, celestial officials, and narrative scenes executed in the Yuan sculptural style.
The figures have weathered more than the Buddhist carvings at Tianlongshan — outdoor exposure over eight centuries has softened many of the faces — but enough detail survives to read the iconographic program clearly. The site is considerably less visited than Tianlongshan, which is one of its virtues. The path from the lower car park climbs through open hillside before reaching the grotto level, and the views from the rock-cut terrace across the valley to Taiyuan are the best available in the immediate city outskirts.