The Longmen Shiku (Grottoes) of Luoyang(576 views)

Release date:2009-08-28 11:34:56

Spectacular stone cliffs overlooking the river, historically and culturally priceless inscriptions, and breathtaking religious art characterize the Longmen Grottoes or Longmen Shiku of Luoyang, China’s answer to Abu Simbel in Egypt. It was listed in 2000 as a UNESCO world heritage site, and one glance up the grand, almost ceremonial staircase leading up to the largest Buddha statue of the complex shows this honour to be well deserved.

The Longmen Grottoes are situated 15 km south of the city of Luoyang, in Henan Province, one of the sites of earliest human habitation in China. Three of China’s ancient capitals have been located in Henan, and the province is an archaeologist’s dream – the fertile soil hides the tombs of many ancient kings.

One such ancient capital was the city of Luoyang. Emperor Xiaowen (467-99) moved the capital of the Northern Wei dynasty from Pincheng, modern Datong, to Luoyang in 493 as an attempt to cement the new direction his reign had taken towards the sinicization of the country: he wanted to create a more culturally cohesive kingdom in order to make it easier to rule. Buddhism had long been revered at Luoyang and the religion had become important in Han culture generally. So around the same time as he moved the capital to Luoyang, Xiaowen set in motion the construction of the Longmen Grottoes, a process which continued for the next 400 years.

The honeycomb face of the rock looks out over the Yi River. The area seems to be a natural gate – indeed Longmen means “Dragon Gate” – because of the cliffs on either side of the river. Often throughout the day you will see low pavillioned boats passing up and down, but this is nothing to the crowds perched on the staircase and all throughout the many caves. The Longmen Grottes are insanely popular – if you want a few moments of solitary calm to contemplate the beauty of this place, come early, certainly before 9am.

The entry fee might seem a lot, but keep in mind that heritage sites require a great deal of upkeep. For the price of a meal in a nice restaurant you can not only see the beauty that comes from the harmony of art and nature, but learn a little history too. Yaofang Dong, the Medical Prescription Cave, features around 140 remedies for everyday medical problems. This is a good reminder that the Longmen Grottoes are also sometimes called the “Forest of Stelae”, or the forest of inscriptions. Just as in ancient Greece and Rome, it was not only the powerful who could erect statues and have inscriptions carved, but poorer people too could club together their resources and buy an expression of piety or a small share of immortality. Indeed, many inscriptions were dedicated to deceased relatives.

There many thousands of Buddhas throughout the complex, ranging from the tallest, at the head of the grand staircase, which measures 17 meters, to the smallest, which comes in at just 2 cm. The largest Buddha, the Buddha Vairocana in the Fengxian temple, was an addition during the Tang dynasty, as was the greater part of the complex in fact. In Wanfo Dong or the Ten Thousand Buddha Cave you will feel not ten thousand but fifteen thousand pairs of eyes on you. It is in this cave, carved in 680, that you will find the smallest Buddha.

There are many grottoes, over 2000 in fact, and these can be found on both sides of the river. If you want to fully explore the Longmen Shiku, be sure to set aside a few hours and come prepared with water, comfortable shoes, and a camera. For a truly haunting experience, visit the grottoes at night when the statues are lit up with spotlights and watch their expressions change with the interplay of light and shadow.

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