Heritage: Longmen Caves
Grandiose caves filled with immense Buddhas decorated with intricate designs are a testament to the skill and wealth of the people who inhabited Luoyang and their devotion to Buddhism.
Luoyang, once the capital of 13 dynasties, does not offer many historical reminders that it’s more than 5,000 years old. Once the center of Chinese power and culture Luoyang is now best used as a base to explore the Longmen Caves (lóngmén shíkū龙门石窟), 12km from the city.
Originating from India, Buddhist cave carvings commemorate Sakyamuni, who used to teach his students in caves. Cave carvings became one of India’s great artistic heritages and spread throughout Asia along with Buddhism, the Longmen Caves have been selected as an UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites.
The site boasts not only the caves, but also lush mountains and ridges with springs and waterfalls. Two mountains on the east and west side of the Yi River are covered with green pines and cypresses, towers and pavilions dot each mountain. A hot spring near the entrance of the west mountain caves is a constant 24°C.
The caves got the name Longmen ,which means “Dragon Gate,” because the two mountains appear as a gate with the Yi River running through it, and when the Sui dynasty emperor built his palace in Luoyang, it faced the mountain “gates.”
Many of the well-known caves are located on the western mountain. Work at the Longmen Caves started in AD 493 when the emperor of the Northern Wei dynasty moved his capital from Pingcheng (now Datong) to Luoyang. It continued up to the Qing dynasty with two thirds of the caves dating to the Song dynasty. According to the Longmen Caves Research Institute, there are 2,345 niches, over 2,840 inscribed tablets, more than 60 pagodas and some 100,000 stone statues.
Guyang Cave (gǔyáng dòng 古阳洞) is one of the oldest caves in Longmen, built from AD 428 to 488; it has comprehensive images of the royal family and the nobles of the Northern Wei period. Three tiers of Buddha statues in different sizes are carved on the north and the south walls. The statues, in typical Wei fashion, feature elongated necks and boxlike heads with stylistically rich patterns.
The Three Binyang Caves (bīnyáng sān dòng 宾阳三洞) were commissioned by Emperor Xuanwu of the Northern Wei to commemorate his parents, and later himself. The middle cave (bīnyáng zhōng dòng 宾阳中洞) took 802,326 workers 24 years to complete. Curtains and flower strings are carved on the ceilings of the caves with lotus patterns dominating the floor area. Inside the entrance on the two walls, there are large embossed carvings called “Emperor as Donor with Attendants” (huángdì lǐfó tú 皇帝礼佛图) and “Empress as Donor with Attendants” (huánghòu lǐfó tú 皇后礼佛图). The pictures vividly illustrate imperial Buddhist practices during the Northern Wei.
The Longmen Caves had two high periods of development. The devoutly Buddhist Northern Wei dynasty initiated the project as an expression of Buddhist devotion and built a large number of caves. But it was in the Tang dynasty when the real masterpieces were carved. The Tang carvings are lively and emotional, depict commoners, a oft-ignored subject matter. The statue of the Losana Buddha in Fengxian Temple (fèngxiān sì 奉先寺) was built in the Tang dynasty by Emperor Gaozong. The statue is over 17m tall with the head measuring 4m and the ears almost 2m long. Empress Wu Zetian, the first and only empress of China donated a large portion of her cosmetics budget towards the construction of this statue and considering she foot the bill for this statue, it’s believed the face of the Buddha was built according her portrait. This statue, together with the six accompanying statues, is considered the highest development of Buddhist carving art in China. With their lively expressions, lithe bodies, and elegantly detailed clothing, they are a strong contrast to the heavy and motionless Northern Wei statues.
Ten Thousand Buddha Cave (wànfó dòng 万佛洞) is another Tang masterpiece. It was built in AD 680 to honor the piety of Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu. On the north and south walls of the cave, there are more than 15,000 carved small Buddha images. The central Buddha, with a plump serene face, sits on a lotus flower throne with his legs crossed, the vajras supporting the seat have a robust and forceful form. Beyond the halo of the main Buddha are 54 lotus flower bronze offering bodhisattvas. The north and south sides are covered with 15,000 diminutive Buddha figures. Below these tiny Buddhas are twelve apsareses, either dancing gracefully or playing musical instruments. Because the cave is protected behind a metal fence, binoculars are recommended to get a clear view of the small Buddhas.
Royal sponsorship was the main driving force in constructing the Longmen Caves. Although historical records and stone inscriptions reveal the nobility, commoners and even foreign Buddhists all contributed towards the construction, only the emperor could summon the massive labor force and financial resources needed to fully realize such a massive project. The caves were built by the emperors as a tribute to their ancestors, but also out of vanity as the caves were a symbol of their own grandeur. In more practical terms, the emperors also saw themselves as living Buddhas and the caves were a tool to impress upon the masses their divinity and gained their obedience.
Because Buddhism and its associated images came to China from India, all the statues have strong Indian influences which, overtime, have became a fusion of native Chinese and Indian styles. Statues built in the Northern Wei dynasty usually wear spacious clothes and wide belts while the bodies are slim with mild expressions that conveys a strong spirit, whereas Tang dynasty statues tend to be plump with slim waists forming visually abundant expressions.
Most of the caves have survived the ravages of time and weather and the limestone at Longmen has proven especially durable. Sadly human nature is far more destructive than Mother Nature and many statues have been damaged in the last two centuries. Though most statues are complete, a large number were badly damaged with their heads lopped off, destined for a museum or a private collection. Now the niches and statues are protected by metal fence so visitors can only appreciate them from a distance.
The Longmen Caves not only showcase the development of Chinese Buddhism during the 5th and the 10th centuries, they also boast a huge collection of over 2,840 elegantly carved tablets on a variety of subjects.
While Luoyang itself isn’t a cultural hotbed, there are some sights within the city itself that make it worth sticking around.
The peony is Luoyang’s city flower, which naturally means there’s an annual Peony Festival (mǔdān huāhuì 牡丹花会). According to legend, Empress Wu of the Tang dynasty once made a bet with an official that, on her orders, flowers would bloom during the winter. Acting upon her divine orders, all the flowers did, except for the peony. She became so enraged that she banished all peonies from Xi’an to Luoyang, which is why the city is synonymous with peonies. If you’re not in Luoyang during the Peony Festival held in from April 10 to 25, the White Horse Temple (báimǎ sì 白马寺), China’s first Buddhist temple, makes for an interesting visit. Han dynasty Emperor Mingdi dreamt of a golden man flying towards the west, taking this as a sign, he sent two envoys to the west in search of Buddhist scriptures. His envoys met two eminent Indian monks who were invited to return with them to Luoyang. In AD 68, the emperor issued an edict to build a monastery to house the scriptures. The temple was renamed the White Horse Temple because the Buddhist scriptures were, according to legend, carried back by the monks on two white horses.
Making Your Trip Easy
Area Code: 0379
Practical Tips
Spring and autumn are the best seasons to visit the Longmen Caves and Luoyang, this is when the weather is the best. Summers can be very hot and winters bitingly cold. The Luoyang Peony Festival (luòyángshì mǔdān huāhuì 洛阳市牡丹花会) begins from April 10 to 25, this is the best time to see the blooming peonies. There may be some interesting activities during the festival.
A tour guide at the Longmen Cave is recommended to fully understand the significance and history of the statues and murals. A Chinese-speaking guide costs RMB 50 and an English-speaking guide is RMB 100.
Transportation
Airport – Luoyang’s well-connected airport is about 10km from downtown.
Taxi – Most taxis are RMB 6 at flag-fall.
The Best of Luoyang
Longmen Caves 龙门石窟 lóngmén shíkū
Address: Longmen Village, Longmen Town龙门镇龙门村
Phone: 598 1299
Opening hours: 6am to 6pm
￥: 60
White Horse Temple 白马寺 báimǎ sì
Address: 12km east of Luoyang 洛阳市东12公里
￥: 35
Hotels
Luoyang Grand Hotel 洛阳大酒店 luòyáng dàjiǔdiàn ★★★★
Address: 1 Zhoushan Lu, Jianxi District 涧西区周山路1号
Phone: 432 4206, 432 7606
￥: 456 – double room, peak-season; 399 – double room, off-season
Website: www.ly-grandhotel.com
Aviation Hotel 航空城酒店 hángkōngchéng jiǔdiàn ★★★
Address: 8 Tiyu Chang Lu, Xigong District 西工区体育场路8号
Phone: 338 5599
￥: 388 – double room
Peony Hotel牡丹大酒店 mǔdān dàjiǔdiàn ★★★
Address: 15 Zhongzhou Xi Lu, Jianxi District涧西区中州西路15号
Phone: 485 6699
￥: 600 – double room, peak-season; 480 – double room, off-season
Food & Restaurants
Luoyang’s famous “Water Banquet” (shuǐ xí 水席) is a must-try when visiting the city. The banquet gets its name because most of its dishes are soups; the dishes are also served continuously one after another like running water. The water banquet began as feast for commoners, but it caught the eye (perhaps nose) of Tang dynasty Empress Wu Zetian who made it a royal delicacy. The banquet consists of 24 dishes, it starts with eight cold appetizers, four have meat and four are vegetarian. Next comes 16 hot dishes that are presented in groups of four and each group based on a central flavor. Each dish usually costs around RMB 15 to 30. Noodles cooked in green soybean milk (jiāng miàntiáo 浆面条), toped with vegetable and hot pepper oil is a yummy snack. If you’re craving dumplings then try xin’anxian tangmianjiao (新安县烫面饺), these pork dumplings are delicious with some vinegar. Mutton soup (tiěxiè yángròu tāng铁榭羊肉汤) is a great way to fill up, it’s reputedly better than mom’s chicken soup if you have a cold.
RESTAURANTS
Donglaishun Restaurant 东来顺食府
Opened in 1916 and specializes in Muslim food.
Address: 11 Zhongzhou Zhong Lu 中州中路11号
Phone: 395 4705, 398 2631
Opening hours: 9am to 10pm
Longmen Diyijia Jiulou 龙门第一家酒楼
Address: south end of Longmen Zhong Jie, near Longmen Caves龙门石窟附近龙门中街南端
Phone: 598 1719
Novelty Restaurant 新奇餐厅
American fast food restaurant in Luoyang.
Address: 10 Jinghua Lu, Jianxi District 涧西区景华路10号
Phone: 492 2888
Opening hours: 9am to 9pm
Ya Xiang Lou Restaurant 雅香楼菜馆
Traditional Cantonese cuisine with dim sum and seafood.
Address: 4 Anhui Lu, Jianxi District 涧西区安徽路4号
Phone: 491 1959
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm
Zhen Bu Tong 真不同
Has been serving banquets and snacks for over 100 years, dinner goes from RMB 50 to RMB 1,000.
Address: 11 Zhiren Li, Old City Area老城区志仁里11号
Phone: 395 5787, 395 5788
Opening hours: 7am to 11pm
Souvenirs
Apart from Chinese paintings of peonies that can be bought all over Luoyang, another local specialty is Tang dynasty tri-colored porcelain (táng sāncǎi 唐三彩). Traditionally, most works are of horses, camels or people, but modern pieces have expanded into framed pictures of peonies or Chinese zodiac animals. Prices range from about RMB 100 and up for these exquisite pieces. For something that’s less fragile, pick up some heluo stones (héluò qíshí 河洛奇石), they come in odd shapes and colors. Replicas of ancient bronzes (fǎnggǔ qīngtóngqì 仿古青铜器) are a local specialty, especially well made are the ancient wine vessels. Since the Tang dynasty, peonies have been a major theme in Luoyang and this is reflected in the paintings and calligraphy (mǔdān zìhuà 牡丹字画).
The Luoyang Tourist Shopping Center (luòyángshì lǚyóu gòuwù zhōngxīn 洛阳市旅游购物中心) on 1 Jiandong Lu (涧东路1号, 393 5627) has a selection of nearly 3,000 different Tang tri-colored glazed pottery with prices starting at RMB 20. The Art Expo Garden (yì bó yuán 艺博园) at 43 Jinghua Lu (景华路43号, 491 2921) has lots of replicas of the statues found at the Longmen Caves. They also have a big selection of paintings and calligraphy.
The Yinyixuan, Seal Art Co. (yìnyìxuān 印艺轩) at Shizi Jie in the old city (老城区十字街路口, 396 5556) specializes in traditional paintings, the scholar’s “four treasures” (Chinese Brush, Inkstone, Chinese ink and Xuan Paper) and Chinese seals.
Other Information
POST OFFICES
Xigong Qu Post Office西工区邮局
Address: 216 Zhongzhou Zhong Lu 中州中路216号
Phone: 393 8683
HOSPITALS
Luoyang Central Hospital 洛阳市中心医院
Address: 288 Zhongzhou Zhong Lu 中州中路288号
Phone: 389 2257
COMPLAINT HOTLINES
General: 431 0882
Taxi: 394 7153