The Great Wall of China, Forbidden City,Terra-Cotta Warriors,Yangtze River, Bird's Nest, Water Cube....

The Introduction of Longmen Grottoes

The Longmen Grottoes, located near Luoyang, Henan Province, are a treasure house of ancient Buddhist cave art. They contain the largest and most impressive collection of stone carvings in China, dating back more than 1,500 years. The grottos were hewed and carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), when the rulers relocated their capital at Luoyang near the end of the 5th century. At that time Buddhism was spreading east into China and was venerated by the imperial court. The Buddhists adopted the practice of carving rock temples, dedicated to the Buddha.

The construction of the Longmen Grottoes began in 493 during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen and continued through the successive six dynasties, including Tang and Song, for a span of over 400 years. Altogether there are 1,352 caves, 785 niches, more than 97,000 statues of the Buddha, Bodhisativas, and Arhats, and 3,680 inscribed stone tablets along the 1-km-long cliff of Mt. Longmen on the west and Mt. Xiangshan on the east of the Yihe River south of Luoyang.

One third of these cave sculptures belong to the Northern Wei Dynasty and two thirds to the Tang Dynasty. The style of sculpture, the design of clothing and the facial expression on statues, as well as carving methods show little foreign influence, rather they exhibit the pinnacle of development of Chinese grotto art. The 11 Buddha statues in the Binyang Cave, typical Northern Wei carvings, represent a style in transition from the simple and compact depictions in the Yungang Grottoes of Datong, Shanxi Province, to the vigorous and realistic Tang Dynasty sculptures.

 back to top

Fengxian Temple
While the cave sculptures of the Tang Dynasty are of a vigorous, elegant and realistic style, The largest of the Tang Dynasty Longmen Grottoes, the Fengxian Temple was carved during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian. The Buddhist figures in this cave exhibit clearly the artistic features of the Tang Buddhist figures: plump face, drooping ears, perfect configurations, sedated airs, and benignant attitudes. The sitting statue of Vairocana Buddha in the center of the cave is the largest Buddhist statue in the Longmen Grottoes. Its face is said to be modeled on the face of Wu Zetian. This statue is 17.14 m high, with a 4-meter head and 1.9-meter ears. Noble and dignified in appearance and dressed in smoothly flowing garments, the plump figure holds a strong artistic appeal. The huge statue of Vairocana Buddha is today praised as being the quintessence of Buddhist sculpture in China.

 back to top

Wanfo Cave
Wanfo Cave, completed in 680, is a typical chronological cave of the Tang Dynasty of two rooms and square flat roofs. Its name is due to the 15,000 small statues of Buddha chiseled in the southern and northern walls of the cave. The main Buddha Amida sits on the lotus Sumeru throne, having a composed and solemn face. The wall behind Amida is carved with 54 lotuses upon which there are 54 Bodhisattvas in different shapes and with various expressions.

 back to top

In addition, there are lifelike reliefs of pretty and charming singers and dancers on the wall. The singers are accompanied by various kinds of instruments and the dancers dance lightly and gracefully to the music. The whole model in the cave has created a lively and cheerful atmosphere. On the southern wall outside the cave is carved a statue of Kwan-yin of 85 centimetres (about 33 inches) in height, holding a pure bottle in the left hand and deer's tails (as a symbol of brushing off the dust in spirit) in the right hand. This figure is well designed and is regarded as an example of Bodhisattva statues of Tang Dynasty in Longmen.
On November 30, 2000, the Longmen Grottoes were approved by the 24th UN Heritage Commission to be put on the List of World Cultural Heritage.