Longmen Grottoes



Located 13 km south of Luoyang, Henan Province, the Longmen Grottoes are concentrated on the east and
west cliffs of the Yishui River, and stretch for one km. Longmen Grottoes reflect the heyday of Tang Dynasty
culture (618-907).

The grottoes were started around the year 493, during the Northern Wei Dynasty, and continued for the next
400 years. In total there are 2,345 caves and niches, housing more than 100,000 statues of Buddha,
Bodhisattvas and Arhats, together with 2,840 inscribed stone tablets and over 60 stone stupas. Among them,
the most representative caves are: Guyang Cave, Binyang Cave, The Lotus (Lianhua) Cave of Northern Wei,
Qianxi Temple, Cave of Ten Thousand Buddhas (Wanfuo), Fengxian Temple and Kanjing Temple. The rich
collection of statues and figures, most of which can be dated, facilitate the study of the history of Chinese
sculpture with precise data. Lots of historical materials concerning art, music, religion, calligraphy, medicine,
costume and architecture are kept in Longmen Grottoes.

The stone sculptures in the Longmen Grottoes are unique in their blending of religious grandeur and secular touches. Based on the essential
concepts and doctrines of Buddhism imported from India, the rock sculptures in the Longmeng Grottoes already begin to assume distinctive
Chinese characteristics.

The style of the sculpture, the design of the clothing and the facial expressions of the statues, as well as the carving methods all exhibit the
pinnacle of development of Chinese grotto art. For example, 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. The Longmen Grottoes reveal the great creativity of Chinese artisans at that time. In the case of statues, differences of
personalities were emphasized, with creative means of expression. Among the most famous figures in Buddhism, the serene Sakyamuni, the
grave Kasyapa, the brisk Ananda and the muscular Guardian Warriors are all depicted with captivating details and impressive vividness.

The Longmen calligraphic works constitutes an important chapter in the evolution of Chinese calligraphy.
Mainly inscribed as memorial articles upon the completion of statues on the walls of caves and niches, they
have been passed down for generations as precious remainders of calligraphic styles of that time.