Longmen Grottoes

The Longmen Grottoes are a major series of Buddhist cave temples carved into limestone cliffs along a section of the Yi River near Luoyang, Henan province, primarily dating from the late 5th to the 8th centuries. The site is noted for its dense concentration of statues, inscriptions and carved reliefs.

Walkways along the river valley give access to large caves such as Fengxian Cave, containing monumental seated buddhas, and many smaller niches and panels carved into the cliffs. The carvings include figures in high relief, inscriptions and ornate architectural motifs created by several generations of artisans.

Most carving activity at Longmen occurred under the Northern Wei and Tang dynasties; the site reflects developments in Buddhist art and patronage over several centuries and has been the focus of conservation and documentation since the early 20th century. The grottoes are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Longmen lies a short distance south of Luoyang city in Henan province, set along the Yi River valley; it is accessible by road from Luoyang and regional rail connections.

• Scale: The site contains a very large number of carved figures and inscriptions-commonly cited as over 100,000 statues in more than two thousand caves and niches-making it one of China's most extensive grotto complexes.

What to See #

• Fengxian Cave: A major cave housing a large seated Buddha and an array of attendant figures carved in the Tang dynasty; the central image measures approximately 17 metres in height.
• Longmen river valley grottoes: Clusters of grottoes carved into the limestone river valley with both large statues and thousands of smaller niches lining the banks over several kilometres.