Lifestyle
Accentuating the iconic beauty of Luoyang's Longmen Grottoes
By Tao Xing & Zhang Zixiao  ·  2025-01-06  ·   Source: No.2 January 9, 2025
  
The Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan Province, on June 9, 2024 (ZHANG ZIXIAO)

The Binyang North Grotto in the Longmen Grottoes, located in Luoyang, an ancient dynastic capital in central China's Henan Province, has become especially popular among young people due to its iconic "peace sign" Buddha statue. Visitors flock to the site, eager to snap the perfect shot for their social media feeds.

The statue was originally designed with three fingers raised—the thumb, index and middle fingers—but the thumb is now broken, leaving just two fingers raised, forming a "peace sign." According to Ma Chaolong, Director of the Conservation Research Center at the Longmen Grottoes Research Academy, this unintentional change has lent the statue exclusive appeal.

In addition to the "peace sign" Buddha, another must-see at the Longmen Grottoes is the Giant Vairocana Buddha. This impressive 17-meter-high statue, carved into the cliff centuries ago, is often noted for its resemblance to Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Imperial China, who ruled during the Tang Dynasty (618–907). Many observers highlight the statue's combination of vigor and grace, which they believe echoes Wu's strength and elegance.

The Longmen Grottoes are a great draw among tourists to Luoyang and its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years. For instance, a local news report on December 31, 2024, revealed that the site had welcomed 7.705 million visitors last year alone, an all-time record high.

Beyond its tourism appeal, the site also shines with cultural connotation, exemplifying the spirit of inclusiveness and cultural integration. The grottoes stand as a testament to the cultural exchange that has shaped China's artistic and spiritual inheritance.

Who's right? 

The Longmen Grottoes are home to more than 2,300 caves, housing over 110,000 Buddhist figures and images, 80 dagobas (a type of Buddhist structure), and 2,800 inscribed tablets—most of which were created between the Northern Wei (386–557) and Song (960–1279) dynasties.

Spanning multiple dynasties, the grottoes have a long history that provides insight into a wide range of topics, from religion and painting to calligraphy, music, costumes, medicine, architecture and international engagement during this period. The grottoes have greatly contributed to the development of Chinese cave art, offering a wealth of physical and textual materials that document this cultural heritage. In 2000, they were recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage site.

Many sculptures in the grottoes provide important references for research in different fields. "There are some carved Buddha statues that seem somewhat unusual," Ma said, adding that Buddha statues are usually depicted raising the right hand, while in Longmen, many feature the left hand raised—an unusual and intriguing variation that adds to their cultural and artistic prominence.

Some experts in artifact authentication determine the originality of a Buddha statue based on whether its right or left hand is raised, often assuming that statues with the left hand raised are fakes. However, this is not the case. The Buddha statues at Longmen provide an important reference for challenging this assumption. "By studying the Buddha statues here, we can deepen our understanding [of such statues in general]," Ma added.

The conservation of the Longmen Grottoes has been an ongoing effort. In 2022, a restoration project was launched to address water seepage and reinforce the rocks at Fengxian Temple, the largest cave in the grotto complex. The restoration employed new technologies, including ground-penetrating radar detection and the design of protective nets.

In November 2024, a conservation and restoration project led by the Longmen Grottoes Research Academy was recognized with the Outstanding Case Award at the Seventh Annual Meeting of HeritAP on World Heritage Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. HeritAP, or Heritage Asia-Pacific, is a network of heritage practitioners supported by the Shanghai Center of the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO. The conference gathered heritage professionals from across the Asia-Pacific region.

A witness of exchange 

The construction of the grottoes began in 493 during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei, shortly after the dynasty had moved its capital from today's Datong, home to the famous Yungang Grottoes, in Shanxi Province to Luoyang. This period coincided with the first peak of Chinese Buddhism, and Emperor Xiaowen, a devout man, played a big role in its patronage.

The Northern Wei was founded by the Xianbei, an ancient nomadic people who originally inhabited the eastern Eurasian steppes, in areas that are now Mongolia and China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and northeastern provinces. Emperor Xiaowen, a forward-thinking and progressive ruler, believed that the harsh northern environment was unsuitable for settled life and that the nomadic lifestyle was rapidly becoming antiquated. To promote the integration of his people into the established Han Chinese culture, he overcame considerable resistance to move the capital south to Luoyang.

Once the capital was relocated, the emperor became even more committed to adopting the advanced systems and cultural practices of the Central Plains. This region, located in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, was the cradle of Chinese civilization and has long been the heart of China's political, economic and cultural development. It encompasses present-day Henan, south Hebei, south Shanxi and west Shandong provinces.

The Longmen Grottoes' Buddha sculptures showcase the centuries-long fusion and exchange between Han Chinese culture and nomadic cultures, according to Ma. "This cultural blending is reflected in the sculptures of the grottoes," he explained.

For example, the Northern Wei absorbed the rich and profound culture of the Central Plains, and this influence extended to its sculptural style. The artistic exchange between north and south led to the creation of what is known as the "Central Plains Style"—characterized by Buddha statues with slender bodies, delicate features, and more detailed designs. Prior to this, Chinese sculptures tended to be more simplistic and compact.

Jiao Jianhui, an associate research fellow at the Longmen Grottoes Research Academy, told CGTN, the international division of state broadcaster CCTV, in a 2019 interview that during the Northern Wei, many envoys, monks and businessmen from Central and West Asia traveled to Luoyang for cultural and trade exchanges. Their cultures and lifestyles also shaped the style of the Longmen Grottoes. For example, while Chinese people at the time typically sat on the ground, one particular Maitreya Buddha appears to be sitting on a chair or elevated seat—an uncommon posture in China but more typical in Central Asia, especially among the aristocracy.

Carving at Longmen continued well beyond the Northern Wei, spanning several dynasties, including the Tang and Song, over a period of more than 400 years. The Tang saw the second peak of Buddhism in China, further shaping the grottoes' artistic evolution.

The caves, sculptures and pagodas in the Longmen Grottoes all feature a clear progression in style. The early caves are characterized by simple yet well-proportioned carvings of Buddha and other religious figures. However, the style became more intricate and varied during the Tang, incorporating depictions of women and court figures as well.

The Tang aesthetic is noted for Buddha statues with full faces and round, plump bodies—a visual trait that continues to influence artistic Buddha representations today, according to Ma.

Today, when visiting the grottoes, you will often spot young people dressed in hanfu, the traditional attire of the Han Chinese, or hufu, a clothing style worn by ethnic groups from northern and western regions during the Tang, taking photos. This trend seems to evoke the ancient atmosphere of the site, a place where different ethnic groups coexisted and thrived, weaving together their diverse cultures.

(Print Edition Title: GROTTO TO GLORY) 

Zhang Zixiao is a postgraduate student in Chinese folk art at Capital Normal University in Beijing 

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon 

Comments to taoxing@cicgamericas.com 

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