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Why
Longmen Caves
are special
The Longmen Caves comprise 1300 caves
adorned with 100,000 statues. Many experts consider them the artistic triumph of Buddhist stone carving.
Interesting insights about
the Longmen Caves
 The grottoes are not natural. They
were hollowed out by humans to create temples inside the mountain.
Sculpturing began in 473 when
the emperor of the Northern Wei Dynasty moved his capital
from Datong to Luoyang.
The Longmen Cave sculpturing continued in earnest for almost four
centuries (and then modestly so in the next two centuries).
Unfortunately, many of the statues
were defaced or decapitated over the centuries by vandals as well as by archaeologists and antiquarians who
sent their plundered sculptures to museums, art dealers and private collectors in the Western World.
Tidbits about
the Longmen Caves
The statuary ranges in size from thumbnail to colossal.
The Longmen
Caves lie along a riverside
cliff, covering a distance of nearly one kilometer (slightly over a half mile).
Longmen means "dragon's
gate" in Chinese.
Tips for your
vacation tour or trip
The
most celebrated of all Longmen Caves is the Ancestor Worshiping Cave
(also known as the Fengxian Temple). This Tang Dynasty masterpiece includes a statue of Buddha (see photo)
measuring almost 17 meters (55 feet) high. For size comparison, notice the height of the two adults standing
on top of the steps in front the sculptures.
The statues are now outdoors because the cave roof collapsed.
For a visual treat, come just after
dawn when the low lying sun's rays bathe the statues in warm hues and create silhouetting shadows.
Nearest major city
The Longmen Caves are 14 kilometers (9 miles) south of Luoyang city in Henan province.
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