Longmen Grottoes
Coordinates:
| Longmen Grottoes* | |
|---|---|
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| |
| State Party |  China
|
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, ii, iii |
| Reference | 1003 |
| Region** | Asia-Pacific |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2000 (24th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO. | |
The Longmen Grottoes (ch. 龍門石窟/ 龙门石窟, lóngmén shíkū; lit. Dragon's Gate Grottoes) or Longmen Caves are located 12 kilometers south of present day Luoyang in Henan province, China. The grottoes, which overwhelmingly depict Buddhist subjects, are densely dotted along the two mountains: Xiangshan (to the east) and Longmenshan (to the west).[1] The Yi River flows northward between them. For this reason, the area used to be called Yique (The Gate of the Yi River). From north to south, the distance covered by grottoes is about one km. Along with the Mogao Caves and Yungang Grottoes, the Longmen Grottoes are one of the three most famous ancient sculptural sites in China.[2]
Description
Longmen Caves has 2345 caves and niches, 2800 inscriptions, forty three pagodas and over 100,000 Buddhist images.[3] Thirty percent of the caves date from the Northern Wei Dynasty, sixty percent from the Tang Dynasty, and caves from other periods less than ten percent. The most impressive collection of Chinese art from those dynasties, dating from 316 to 907 C.E., they represent the zenith of stone carving in China.[4] The area was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in November 2000.
History
During the Warring States Period, the general Bai Qi of Qin (state) once defeated the allied forces of Han (state) and Wei (state) at the site.[5] Construction of the grottoes themselves began in 493 C.E. According to the inscription the Longmen Grottoes are an illustration of "...the perfection of a long-established art form which was to play a highly significant role in the cultural evolution of this region of Asia."[4]
Individual grottoes by dynasty completed
Northern Wei
Middle Binyang Cave
Middle Binyang Cave (ch. 宾阳中洞) is cave number 140, 12 meters long, 10.9 meters wide, 9.3 meters high. Constructed by order of Emperor Xuanwu of the Northern Wei in honor of his parents Emperor Xiaowen and Empress Wenzhao, the cave was supposed to imitate Lingyansi Cave at the Yungang Caves. Work began in 500 and was completed in 523. In 1987 a brick-entrance was demolished to reveal two new figures: a four-headed, four-armed Brahma and a one headed, four armed Śakra devendra.
The back wall is a carved Sakyamuni, with two discliples and two bodhisattvas. The main Buddha and bodhisattvas are representative of the Northern Wei sculptural style. A lotus-flower pool decorates the floor. The ceiling is engraved with a blossoming lotus flower, 8 musical apsarases, 2 attending apsarases and tassel and drapery patterns. The front wall is covered with a large Vimalakirti relief, the Prince Sattva jataka, the Prince Sudatta jataka, an emperor/empress worshipping scene and ten deity kings. The cave is flanked by North and South Binyang Caves.
Middle Binyang Cave. The rear and north walls are visible.
The south wall.
The upper portion of the central Sakyamuni figure.
Other Northern Wei grottoes
- Guyang Cave
- Lotus-flower Cave
- Weizi Cave
- Huangfugong Cave
Sui
South Binyang Cave
South Binyang Cave (ch. 宾阳南洞) is cave number 159 at the Longmen Grottoes near Luoyang, Henan, China. Initiated by order of Emperor Xuanwu of the Northern Wei in honour of his parents Emperor Xiaowen and Empress Wenzhao, the cave was not completed until the Sui.
The main image is an Amitabha which is said to represent the transition of solemn and majestic Northern Wei sculpture in to the more life-like style of the Tang. There are multiple inscriptions in the cave, and additional figures are also present (possibly bodhisattvas). Middle Binyang Cave and North Binyang Cave are adjacent to the north..
South wall with Bodhisattva and additional figure.
Rear and north walls of South Binyang Cave.
The patterned roof, central and flanking figures.
Tang
Hidden Stream Temple Cave
The Hidden Stream Temple Cave (ch. 潜溪寺洞; qián xī sì dòng, also zhai fu tang) is cave number 20. The cave had wooden structured eaves added in the Qing Dynasty, but these were not maintained. In 1990 an outer room imitating the Tang style was rebuilt and the floor was paved with bricks.
The central statue is a large Amitabha seated on a square pedestal with loose clothes, a naked chest and a plump face. His hands take the abhaya mudra, symbolising fearlessness. The bodhisattvas Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta stand to each side. Two armoured heavenly kings protect the entrance. There are also two line engraved buddhas in a niche on the southern wall outside the cave.
North Binyang Cave
North Binyang Cave (ch. 宾阳北洞) is cave number 104 at the Longmen Grottoes. Initiated by order of Emperor Xuanwu of the Northern Wei in honour of his parents Emperor Xiaowen and Empress Wenzhao, the cave was not completed until the Tang. The main image is an Amitabha with a patterned halo. Dragon-head shaped column bases dating from the Northern Wei flank the cave entrance. Other figures are also present (possibly bodhisattvas). Middle Binyang Cave and South Binyang Cave are adjacent to the south.
Other cave sites
- Fengxiansi
- 10,000 Buddha Cave
- Kanjingsi
- Dawanwufo Cave
The Longmen area is open to the public, and although the grottoes cannot be entered most of the artwork can be seen from the exterior.
Notes
- ↑ Atlas of world heritage: China. 2005. Cultural China (San Francisco, Calif: Long River Press), p. 82.
- ↑ Xingyun. 2004. Illustrated world Buddhist arts (Taiwan, R.O.C.: Fo Guang Shan Foundation for Culture and Education), p. 303.
- ↑ Jo Allum, Sharon Leece, Christine Meaney, and Vivien Jones. 2006. Legends of the dragon: celebrating Asia's historic splendour (Hong Kong: PPP Co.), p. 63.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Longmen Grottoes. UNESCO. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ↑ Jinglong Liu. 2002. Longmen Shiku zao xiang quan ji = Complete works of statues in Longmen Grottoes (Beijing: Wen wu chu ban she), p. 10.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Allum, Jo, Sharon Leece, Christine Meaney, and Vivien Jones. 2006. Legends of the dragon: celebrating Asia's historic splendour. Hong Kong: PPP Co. ISBN 9789889889968.
- Atlas of world heritage: China. 2005. Cultural China. San Francisco, Calif: Long River Press. ISBN 9781592650606.
- Xingyun. 2004. Illustrated world Buddhist arts. Taiwan, R.O.C.: Fo Guang Shan Foundation for Culture and Education. OCLC 224330745.
External Links
| |||||||
Credits
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:
- Longmen_Grottoes history
- Middle_Binyang_Cave history
- South_Binyang_Cave history
- Hidden_Stream_Temple_Cave history
The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:
Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.
