Longmen Grottoes

The Longmen or Dragon's Gate Grottoes are, with the caves of Datong and Dunhuang, among the most important cave temples in China. They extend for over 1km/.5mi along the slopes of Longmenshan Mountain 12km/7.5mi south of the city. This Buddhist religious site includes not only the 1352 grottos but also 750 niches and 40 pagodas, containing many wall paintings, 3680 rock inscriptions and almost 100,000 statues and representations. The first caves were created in AD 494 when the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534), which actively supported Buddhism, moved its capital to Luoyang. Over the last few centuries a large part has been destroyed, partly by erosion, partly by people, including even collectors.