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The Biggest Buddha at Longmen Caves

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Juxiansi cave at Longmen caves seen from a distance. Longmen Grotto Caves are numerous caves collectively, among them there are Lotus (Lianhua) Flower Cave, Juxiansi Cave which is the largest of the Longmen Caves collective, Medical Prescription Cave, Guyang Cave, Fengxian Cave and many more. Besides the ever-present Buddha theme, lotus flowers are a common and recurring element in the relief carvings at this site. The cave “Medical Prescription Cave” is aptly named for its entrance is adored with inscriptions that document some one-hundred and forty 6th century remedies and curatives for common ailments. Some of the homeopathic prescriptions inscribed upon these entrance walls are still in use in modern China today.

Typically, the sculptures and carvings in these caves and grottoes are devoted to Buddha and his disciples and depist various scenes of how Buddhism came to China. The 17-meter tall Buddha at Fengzian Caves is the largest at Longmen. There is a tradition that if you can reach around his ankle make your fingers touch, it is a good omen and you are considered to be lucky. But there is a fence around the Fengzian grotto today and you cannot get close enough to try this. All of these caves at Longmen are included under the umbrella of a World Heritage Site.

A World Heritage Site is a site, location or place such as a mountain, lake, monument, city, etc, that has been voted to be a significant contribution to humanity. According to Wikipedia, as of 2008 there are 878 sites worldwide that are so listed. Of those, 678 are cultural, 174 are natural (lakes, caves, mountains, etc.) and there are 26 mixed properties in this list. The nation of Italy has the greatest number of World Heritage sites, ranking in with 43 sites.

Longmen Cultural Icons

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Longmen is open to public tourism and most of the artwork of the sculptures can be viewed from the outside although the general public is not permitted to enter the grottoes.

The Longmen Caves Research Institute says that there are 2345 caves (nice number, eh?) and niches, 2800 inscriptions and over 100,000 Buddhist images throughout the site. Nearly 2/3rds of the caves date to the Tang Dynasty and one third date from the Northern Wei Dynasty, and another 10% of the total date to other dynastic periods. The whole of this artwork and sculpturing construction dates from between 316 to 907 CE and is rated as being some of the most impressive treasure troves of sculpting in all of China.

Grottoes at Longmen Caves

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Many such niches are carved into the side of the mountain, with intricate carvings of the Buddha, his followers  and other depictions inside.

 
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Even damaged, these sculpture relief carvings are amazing works of dedication and devotion to their beliefs. The hardness of the stone allows for intricate detail to be created and, barring vandalism or theft, will last a very long time.

LonelyPlanet tells us that in the early 20th century, relic collectors extracted cultural art sculptures and exported them. Whatever they could chisel out, carry or break off, was taken. Two murals that were removed are in the United States. One in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, NY and the other at the Atkinson Museum in Kansas City, Kansas.

Some of the stolen art is being returned to its rightful home and restored. Such is the power of being named a World Heritage Site and the recognition and funding that being so named can bring. What cannot be found or for what was irrevocably destroyed by conquering dynasties and ideologies is being restored. Heads and others body parts are being restored to severed sculpted bodies. The “Ten Thousand Buddha Cave” was particularly hard hit during the days of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution where the struggle within the Communist Party under Mao Zedong was set upon the task to” “Smash the old world / Establish a new world.” This was poignantly depicted in posters from the era showing such things as the crucifix, Buddha and classical Chinese texts being beaten into rubble under blows from a sledge-hammer wielding worker (or possibly a Red Guard,) as these cultural icons of free will can not survive under Communism as Chairman Zedong saw it.

10,000 Buddha Cave

Ten Thousand Buddha Cave for its art, content and message was particularly ravaged during this dark oppressive period.

Under Peace and Prosperity

The Longmen Cave region is world famous not just for its caves and grottos, but also appreciated for its beautiful mountains, springs and waterfalls. Pagodas and modern architecture with an eye for the classical past adorn the region. Cypress and pine trees adore the mountains and an annual peony (a type of flower) celebration held every April 20th in Luoyang makes for a lush and enchanting tourist experience.