Longmen Grottoes

Longmen Grottoes carved on the Longmen and Xiangshan Mountain on the both sides of Yi River to the south of Luoyang City. It’s one of the important stone sculpture treasure house of China and together with Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang and the Yungang Grottoes in Datong enjoy fame as the three greatest grottoes of China. The construction of Longmen Grottoes started in Northern Wei dynasty ( Xiaowen Emperor Period ) and lasted for 500 years from Northern Wei to Eastern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties and Song, which comprise more than 2,300 caves and niches carved into the steep limestone cliffs over a 1km long stretch. These contain almost 110,000 Buddhist stone statues, more than 60 stupas and 2,800 inscriptions carved on steles.gjmSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

Longmen Grottoes has long history and spans many dynasties, with plenty of painting and text information well reflects the different aspects of the development and changes of ancient Chinese political, economic, religious, cultural and many other fields. In 2000, Longmen Grottoes was listed as the World Cultural heritage site by UNESCO.gjmSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

History of the Longmen GrottoesgjmSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

the carvings of the Longmen Grottoes were commissioned by emperors, members of the imperial family and other wealthy families, generals, and religious groups, all who hoped to earn good fortune through their donations.gjmSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

The site was "founded" by the Northern Wei dynasty in 492 AD, when they moved their capital to Luoyang from Datong (where they had carved the Yungang Caves). Three sets of caves - Guyang, Bingyang and Lianhua - date from this early period. Their art was similar to that at Datong but was adapted to the harder limestone surface of the Longmen Caves. Work continued under various patrons for 500 years and reached a second peak under the Tang, particularly under the devoted Buddhist Empress Wu Zetian.gjmSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

The caves have suffered from significant vandalism and looting over the years, beginning with the anti-Buddhist movement of the 9th century. Destruction continued at the hands of souvenir-hunting Westerners in the 19th and 20th centuries, and culminated in attacks by Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution.gjmSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

What to See at the Longmen CavegjmSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

The three Bingyang caves are among the earliest, carved by the Northern Wei in the Datong style. The middle Bingyang cave was commissioned by Emperor Xuan Wu to honor his parents and is said to have taken 800,000 men working from 500 to 523 AD to complete. The 11 statues of the Buddha show northern characteristics (long features, thin faces, fishtail robes) and traces of Greek influence. The side caves, completed under the Tang, are more natural and voluptuous in style.gjmSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

Wanfo or Wan Fo Dong (Cave of Ten Thousand Buddhas), just south, was built in 680 by Gao Zong and his empress Wu Zetian. It has 15,000 Buddhas carved in tiny niches, each one different. The smallest is just 2cm high. Another early cave is Lianhua (Lotus Flower Cave), dating from 527 and named for the beautifully carved lotus decorating its roof.gjmSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

Fengxian or Feng Xian Si (Ancestor Worshipping Cave), carved between 672 and 675 for Empress Wu Zetian, is the largest and most splendid of all the caves and considered the culmination of Tang carving. The monumental shrine has a square plan measuring about 30m (100 feet) on each side. It centers on a majestic seated figure of Vairocana Buddha on the back wall, 17m (56ft) high with 2m-long ears. On his left, a Bodhisattva wears a crown and pearls and a divine general treads an evil spirit underfoot.gjmSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

Inscriptions in the Medical Prescription Cave, dating from 575, detail hundreds of cures for everything from madness to the common cold. Some of the prescriptions are still used today.gjmSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

Further on is Guyang, the oldest cave at Longmen, begun in 495. It still has some traces of the paint that originally gave life to the carvings. There is a central Buddha and three tiers of niches on the northern and southern walls, which contain hundreds of statues. Most of the statues are engraved with the names of the artists, the dates and the reasons for carving them. There are also nineteen of the "Twenty Pieces," important examples of ancient calligraphy.gjmSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours

From the end of the west bank, a bridge leads to the east bank for a fine view of the caves. Up the hill is the Tomb of Bai Juyi, the famous Tang poet, who spent his last years in Luoyang as the Retired Scholar of the Fragrant Hill.gjmSilk Road Adventure & Private Tours - Silk Road China Tours