Aspects of the great North Cave at Xiangtangshan, created on a colossal scale in the middle of the sixth century and damaged in subsequent centuries, most severely in the twentieth century when many pieces were removed and sold in the art market. In recent years we have been able to collect more complete images of the cave and its sculptures and to reconstruct the former appearance and possible meanings of the cave on the basis of religious texts, historical inscriptions, visual analysis, and digital technology.