Longmen Grottoes
The Longmen Grottoes, located in China’s Henan Province is one of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art. The grottoes are home to tens of thousands of Buddhist statues carved directly into the Xiangshan and Longmenshan Mountains. Carving began durint the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-535BC), and continued until the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234AD). In 2000, the site was listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
The grottoes consist of 1,400 caves and there are around 100,000 statues ranging from 25millimeters to 17meters in height. There are almost 2,500 stelae and inscriptions with the caves and over 60 pagodas. The grottoes were carved from over 1 kilometer of cliff faces on both sides of the Yi River. They were sponsored by Emperors, government officials, and rich businessmen.
The Longmen Grottoes were carved in four phases. The first phase started in the Northern Wei Dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen. He moved his capital to Luyong, which is where the grottoes are located. The second phase was carved during the Sui (581-681) and early Tang (618-907) Dynasties. Progress was very slow during the second phase due to economic strife in the region. The third phase, during the mid-Tang Dynasty was when the largest and most extravagant carving was created. The fourth phase was done during the late Tang Dynasty to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), in which work on the grottoes slowed. It eventually stopped all together due to war.
The Longmen Grottoes has been under constant restoration and conservation since 1951. Headed by the China University of Geosciences, the grottoes and the paths and areas are constantly monitored to ensure that the grottoes will be enjoyed for centuries to come. Many of the statues and reliefs taken in the 20th century have been returned and have been returned to their original location in the grottoes. Artists are documenting all the images and paintings in the grottoes to be used as reference for future generations.
