Longmen Grottoes 龙门石窟Lóngmén Shíkū

Why go to Longmen Grottoes

On both banks of the Yi River just south of Luoyang, limestone cliffs are honeycombed with more than 2,000 caves and niches holding around 100,000 Buddhist figures, carved over roughly four centuries from the Northern Wei to the Tang. The centrepiece is the 17-metre Vairocana Buddha at Fengxian Temple, whose calm face is among the finest in Chinese sculpture.

The story

The Vairocana Buddha was finished in 675, and Empress Wu Zetian is recorded as contributing money from her personal 'rouge and powder' allowance. Local legend has it that the Buddha's face was modelled on her own.

What to see at Longmen Grottoes

• Guyang Cave 古阳洞: One of the earliest and the largest of the Northern Wei caves on the West Hill, with niches donated by nobles and hundreds of inscriptions in fine Wei calligraphy.
• Binyang Middle Cave 宾阳中洞: A Northern Wei cave with a seated Shakyamuni flanked by bodhisattvas; the imperial-procession reliefs once on its walls were stolen in the early 20th century and are now in overseas museums.
• Fengxian Temple 奉先寺: The grottoes' centrepiece, carved in the 670s under Tang patronage, with a 17.14 m Vairocana Buddha, disciples, bodhisattvas and guardians in a vast open-air niche.
• Ten Thousand Buddha Cave 万佛洞: A Tang cave of 680 holding some 15,000 tiny Buddhas, the smallest only a couple of centimetres high.
• Medical Prescription Cave 药方洞: A small cave with 140 medical prescriptions carved at its entrance, an early record of Chinese medicine.
• Xiangshan Temple and Bai Juyi's tomb 香山寺与白居易墓: On the east hill, a quiet temple and the hilltop tomb of the Tang poet, who spent his last years in Luoyang.

How to visit Longmen Grottoes

The usual route covers the West Hill first, then crosses the Yi River to the East Hill, Xiangshan Temple and Bai Juyi's tomb. Allow three to four hours for the full circuit, with the Fengxian niche as the climax of the West Hill; a shorter visit can stop after the West Hill and one look back from the east bank. Tickets are real-name, so book ahead and bring your passport.

How to get to Longmen Grottoes

The grottoes are about 13 km south of central Luoyang, a short taxi ride from Luoyang Longmen high-speed station, which is around 1.5–2 hours from Xi'an by train.

Where to stay

Stay in Luoyang's old town or near the Longmen high-speed station; the grottoes are a short taxi ride from either.

What to eat

• Luoyang Water Banquet 洛阳水席: A 24-course Luoyang tradition of mostly soupy dishes served in sequence, best in a restaurant in the city.
• Peony yancai 牡丹燕菜: A water-banquet dish of shredded radish bound with starch and steamed in a savoury broth, a Luoyang classic.

Tips for visiting Longmen Grottoes

• Cross to the east bank for the best view back over the whole west cliff.
• If evening opening is running during your visit, come back to see the cliffs floodlit.
• Bring your passport; tickets are booked and checked against ID.

Nearby

• White Horse Temple 白马寺 20 km
  China's first Buddhist temple, with Thai, Indian and Burmese halls beside it
• Shaolin Temple 少林寺 40 km
  The cradle of Chan Buddhism and kung fu, at the foot of Mount Song
• Huangcheng Xiangfu 皇城相府 110 km
  A walled hillside estate of courtyards, towers and gardens built by a family of officials
• Henan Museum 河南博物院 110 km
  Zhengzhou's treasure house of Central Plains bronzes, jades and Neolithic finds

Also within 30 km: Longmen Fengxiang Hot Spring Resort 凤翔温泉 (under 10 km), Peony Pavilion and Luoyang Peony Museum 牡丹阁 (under 10 km), Dahehui, Luoyang 大河荟 (under 10 km), Luoyang Lavender Manor 薰衣草庄园 (under 10 km), Guanlin Temple 关林 (under 10 km), Sui–Tang City Site Botanical Garden 隋唐城遗址植物园 (under 10 km).

On the map

Open Longmen Grottoes on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• UNESCO World Heritage
• Wikipedia (Chinese)