Longmen Grottoes
Guangdong · China
Contents
7 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Longmen Grottoes
Welcome to the Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the three largest ancient Buddhist cave complexes in China. As you stand along the banks of the Yi River, you are witnessing the labor of over 400 years of…
Listen in the app2Binyang Caves — The Northern Wei Legacy
The Binyang Middle Cave is one of the oldest and most significant sites at Longmen, commissioned by Emperor Xuanwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty to honor his parents. Construction began in the early 6th century and reportedly took…
Listen in the app3Wanfo Cave — The Grotto of Ten Thousand Buddhas
Entering the Wanfo Cave, or the 'Cave of Ten Thousand Buddhas,' you are met with a staggering display of repetition and devotion. Completed in 680 AD during the Tang Dynasty, the walls of this cave are covered with exactly 15,000…
Listen in the app4Lotus Cave — The Celestial Ceiling
The Lotus Cave, or Lianhua Cave, is named for the spectacular giant lotus blossom carved in high relief on its ceiling. In Buddhism, the lotus represents purity, rising from the mud to bloom in the light. …
Listen in the app5Fengxian Temple — The Grand Virocana Buddha
We now arrive at the Fengxian Temple, the largest and most iconic grotto in the entire complex. Commissioned by Emperor Gaozong and completed in 675 AD, it features the magnificent Virocana Buddha, which stands 17.14 meters tall. …
Listen in the app6The Yi River and the East Hill View
To truly appreciate the scale of Longmen, you must look across the Yi River toward the East Hill. From the viewing platform known as Kwan Thai, you can see the entire face of the West Hill cliffs, with the massive opening of the…
Listen in the app7Final Reflections
As we conclude our tour of the Longmen Grottoes, we take with us the image of a hundred thousand Buddhas carved into the living rock. This site is more than a museum; it is a profound repository of Chinese history, art, and…
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What is Longmen Grottoes?
Longmen Grottoes is a place in Guangdong · China with 7 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Guangdong · China |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 7 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 34.5573, 112.4679 |
| Last updated |
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