Idea #192 – Visiting the Longmen Caves
More than twenty centuries ago, in the time when Luoyang was major Oof, an emperor bases the first Buddhist monastery of Far East. At the end of the 5th century, the Wei of the North, which have just settled their capital to Luoyang, establishe several rupestral oratories on a site called Longmen (“door of the Dragon”) situated in the South of the city, where the river Yi is choked by a rock. The practice continues while the dynasties follow one another, and more than 1352 caves decorated with almost 100 000 Buddha are dug. A big part of them are vandalized in the last century. Officially, rich European collectors would have bought the heads of Bouddah ; in practice, have a lokk at the Cultural revolution… During your visit, do not forget to go to admire the statues of the cave of the Sacrifice to the Ancestors, sculptured in the VIIth century, constituting one of the most beautiful examples of sculptures of period Tang.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Longmen, Luoyang, China
Larger Map