How do I get to Longmen Grottoes?
How to get to Longmen Grottoes from Xi’an. The most convenient way is to take high speed trains from Xi’an North Railway Station to Longmen Railway Station. It takes around 1.5 to 2 hours. If you take train from Xi’an Railway Station, then you arrive at Luoyang Railway Station.
Who made Longmen Grottoes?
It was created by Huangfu Du, uncle of Empress Hu. Wan-fo-dung (“Cave of Ten Thousand Buddhas”万佛洞), or Yung-lung-tung, was built in 680 by Gaozong and Wu Zetian. It houses 15,000 Buddhas carved in small niches, different from each other, with the smallest Buddha being 2 centimetres (0.79 in) in height.
When was Longmen caves built?
Construction at the site continued sporadically throughout the 6th century and culminated in the Tang dynasty (618–907) with the construction of a cave shrine, known as Fengxian Si. This truly monumental temple was carved out over the three-year period between 672 and 675.
What was a grotto used for?
They are often used as shrines in which to place statues of saints, particularly the Virgin Mary, in outdoor gardens. Many Roman Catholics visit a grotto where Bernadette Soubirous saw apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Where are the Longmen caves?
The Longmen Grottoes, located on bothsides of the Yi River to the south of the ancient capital of Luoyang, Henan province, comprise more than 2,300 caves and niches carved into the steep limestone cliffs over a 1km long stretch.
Why is the Longmen grottoes important?
The grottoes and niches of Longmen contain the largest and most impressive collection of Chinese art of the late Northern Wei and Tang Dynasties (316-907). These works, entirely devoted to the Buddhist religion, represent the high point of Chinese stone carving.
What was the function of the Longmen caves?
Function: Record the lineage of the patriarchs who passed on Buddhism. Asserted sovereignty and power. Used for assimilation.
What is the historical significance of the Longmen caves?
Why do people go to the grotto?
What lives in a grotto?
Animals that have completely adapted to cave life include: cave fish, cave crayfish, cave shrimp, isopods, amphipods, millipedes, some cave salamanders and insects.
What is the purpose of the Longmen caves?
The Longmen cave-temple complex, located on both sides of the Yi River (south of the ancient capital of Luoyang), is an excellent site for understanding how rulers wielded this foreign religion to affirm assimilation and superiority.
What is the role of the Bodhisattvas?
Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who postpone their own salvation in order to help all sentient beings. The bodhisattva is an ideal type, not a depiction of an historical person like the Buddha. Bodhisattvas have some of the characteristics of Christian saints. They are compassionate figures who help worshipers.
