Quick Links

China is the world's most populated country and the third-largest country by area - with one of the longest histories. It is a country of unbelievably rich history and eye-catching attractions - but unfortunately, the vast majority of its attractions are largely unknown to the outside world. One of its many mind-bending attractions is the Longmen Grottoes in Henan province in China.

While in China visit Sichuan Province as well - it is the picturesque home to the pandas and the giant Buddha statues. There are scores of Buddhist attractions all across China. Perhaps the most bewildering is the impossibly perched Fanjingshan temple (that one can climb up to).

What Are The Longmen Grottoes Of China?

The Longmen Grottoes are some of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art and house thousands of statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciples in hundreds of caves.

  • Location: 12 km or 7.5 miles South of Luoyang in Henan Province China
  • Name: 龙门石窟 In Chinese - Literally "Dragon's Gate Grottoes"

There are believed to be as many as 100,0000 statues that range in size from as small as one inch (25 mm) or as large as 57 feet (17 meters). The site also has almost 2,500 stelae and inscriptions and over sixty Buddhist pagodas. The statues are housed in 2,345 caves that have been dug in a one-kilometer stretch of cliff face on the river banks.

  • Number Of Statues: 100,000 Statues
  • Number Of Caves: 2,345 Caves

30% of the caves date from the Northern Wei, 60% from the Tang dynasty, and the remaining 10% hail from other periods. The site started with the Northern Wei Dynasty in 493 AD - just a few years after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

  • Designated: UNESCO World Heritage Since 2000

Related: Four Sacred Mountains Of Buddhism: What Everyone Should Know

Who Built The Longmen Grottoes And Why?

Buddhism originated in ancient India and spread from there around the greater Asian region. As the religion spread, each modern-day Asian country interpreted the teachings of Buddhism differently (in some places Buddhism taught pacificism while in Japan there were warrior monks called Sōhei).

  • Built: By Chinese Buddhists

Buddhism originated from the teachings attributed to Gautama Buddha and is believed to have first arisen between the 6th and 4th centuries BC. It is believed to have first been introduced into China during the Han Dynasty (between 202 BC and 220 AD). Chinese Buddhism had a huge influence on the dissemination of Buddhism to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Today it is the world's fourth-largest religion

China had its known interpretation of the teachings (there are other Buddhist sects in China too - like in Tibet). Jiao Jianhui, deputy researcher of Longmen Grottoes Research Academy stated that the statues of the grotto are "Traditionally, Indian style Buddhas have plumpish faces, deep eyes, high noses, and wear heavy kasayas. But this Buddha here blended into Chinese aestheticism, specifically that from the literati in the Southern Dynasty."

The Longmen Grottoes were first built in the late 5th century during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen when he moved his capital to Luoyang. The emperor was a pious believer in the teachings of Buddhism and this was a period when Chinese Buddhism was reaching its first peak (the second would come in the Tang Dynasty).

Carving continued for over 400 years.

Related: Seda Monastery: The Largest Tibetan School In The World

Visiting The Longmen Grottoes

Today anyone can visit the Longmen Grottoes in China. The site is subdivided into four sub-attractions - caves on the west hill, caves on the east hill, Xiangshan Temple (on the east hill), and Bai Juyi’Tomb (on the east hill). Guided tours can also be arranged with thechinaguide.com.

  • Time Needed: 3 to 4 Hours

To reach the entrance to the Longmen Grottoes, visitors need to walk along a 2 km commercial street laced with shops and restaurants. Entrance tickets can be purchased at the ticketing offices at the gate to the grotto.

  • Entrance Fee: RMB 120 ($18.00)

Opening Hours:

  • March 1 – October 31: 7.00 am to 7.50 pm
  • November 1 – February 28: 7.30 am to 6.50 pm

Note that as of the time of writing (June 2022) China is still pursuing a zero-tolerance of Covid-19 and remains closed to international tourism. It may be better to visit China after the pandemic is ended. Until then, add these remarkable grottoes to one's bucket list of things to do for a future China trip.