Unmissable Longmen

The book is divided into two chapters. The first chapter tells the history of the opening of the Longmen Grottoes and the cultural and artistic characteristics embodied in them. The second chapter is an unmissable exploration of the caves， in which the author takes readers on an immersive tour of the caves in a combination of pictures and texts， describing the classic statues of each cave and telling the historical stories related to them.

Niche No. 1280 （Fengxian Temple）： A Pinnacle of Chinese Sculptural Art

Fengxian Temple stands 19.68 meters high， 38 meters wide， and 36 meters deep， making it the largest and most exquisitely carved group of cliff sculptures at the Longmen Grottoes. Every viewer is inevitably awestruck by this magnificent group of statues. If the numerous caves at Longmen are akin to stars in a treasury of stone-carved art， then Fengxian Temple is the radiant moon they illuminate. Begun during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty， this masterpiece was completed in the second year of Shangyuan （675 ACE）. Originally named the Great Locana Buddha Niche， it took its current name from the royal temple Fengxian Temple to which it belonged. Archaeologists have excavated the remnants of this ancient temple on the southern side of Mount Longmen， unearthing numerous artifacts. At that time， the temple’s monks were responsible for managing the Great Locana Buddha Niche， highlighting the significance attributed to this extraordinary site.

The niche features nine large statues in total. The central statue embodies fullness and elegance， with dignified proportions and an ideal balance that uses perspective artfully to enhance its visual impact. The disciples， bodhisattvas， celestial deities， and warriors decrease gradually in height and scale on either side， creating an isosceles triangle composition that perfectly complements the main figure. The harmonious and unified layout creates a powerful visual effect that captivates viewers with its overwhelming beauty and impressive emotional resonance.

Unmissable： The Locana Buddha of Fengxian Temple

The Locana Buddha， from Commentary on the Mahavairocana Sutra： “The one referred to in Sanskrit as ‘Vairocana，’ meaning the ‘sun，’ symbolizes illumination and the dispelling of darkness，” embodies the idealized image of wisdom and virtue of buddha. Standing 17.14 meters tall with a head height of 4 meters， the Buddha’s ears alone measure 1.9 meters. The figure has a coiled hair bun atop its head， a full and rounded face， a high， straight nose， and subtly upturned lips. The eyes are carved with deep relief， adding to the rich dimensionality and lifelike quality of the statue. Her broad shoulders， the smooth， simple lines of her robes， and the exquisite flame-like halo that frames her head highlight her radiance， as bright as the sun and moon.

As we gaze into the wise and compassionate eyes of the Buddha， it’s as if we can glimpse the progress of society and the splendor of Tang civilization through the dust of history. When you look up at the sacred face of the Locana Buddha， the elegance and grace she embodies evoke the image of Empress Wu Zetian， with the Buddha’s features bearing a striking resemblance to the dignified allure of this iconic Tang empress.

Unmissable： Ananda， the Disciple at Fengxian Temple

The disciple Ananda is depicted with thick brows， fine eyes， and an intelligent， endearing expression. His youthful face still holds a hint of childlike innocence. Upon closer observation， you can see his gaze subtly lifted， as though he is in deep contemplation， grasping the profound teachings of the Buddha. Ananda is known for his remarkable memory; during the First Buddhist Council after the Buddha’s passing， Ananda recited the words spoken by the Buddha during his teachings， giving rise to the Buddhist scriptures. This is why every sutra begins with the phrase “Thus I have heard.”

Unmissable： Manjushri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas at Fengxian Temple

The Bodhisattvas Manjushri and Samantabhadra are adorned with elaborate floral crowns. Their upper bodies are bare yet elegantly draped with flowing scarves， adorned with opulent jewelry， while their lower bodies are wrapped in long skirts that add a sense of graceful movement. With gentle expressions， dignified postures， and dynamic， flowing attire， they embody an air of regal elegance and refined spiritual grace.

Unmissable： Deities and Guardian Warriors at Fengxian Temple

On the north and south walls of the large niche at Fengxian Temple， carvings of a deity and a warrior are set into each side. The deity on the north wall wears armor， with his left hand on his waist， right hand holding a pagoda， feet clad in battle boots， and a bold， valiant expression. The warrior next to him has sharply raised brows， fierce eyes， bulging neck veins， and defined muscles， revealing his fierce and fiery temperament. Although the figures on the south wall have been heavily weathered， the remaining details still convey their powerful spirit and grandeur.

Unmissable： Standing Buddha Statues at Fengxian Temple

On the north， west and south walls of the large niche in Fengxian Temple are 48 high-relief standing Buddha statues， each approximately 2.38 meters tall. These were commissioned by over a hundred court officials， led by Gao Lishi and Yang Sixu， to honor Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. Each Buddha has a high， fleshy topknot and wavy hair， with round， gentle faces， draped in flowing robes， and expressions of serenity. Remarkably， some of the original colors on the robes are still faintly visible to this day.

Unmissable： A Distant View of Fengxian Temple

At the top of the Great Locana Buddha niche lies a 120-meter-long V-shaped drainage system， discovered in 1976， which was constructed by ancient craftsmen during the niche’s creation. With careful maintenance， it continues to function effectively today and remains the most complete drainage system preserved among China’s rock-cut temples. Square holes visible on the walls are remnants from the Song and Jin periods， left from beams used in wooden structures built to protect Fengxian Temple. The inscription The Great Locana Buddha Niche on the South Side of Longmen Mountain in Heluo’s Shangdu records that Fengxian Temple was initiated by Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty， with Empress Wu Zetian donating 20，000 strings of coins in the third year of Xianheng （672）， and completed in the second year of Shangyuan （675）. Overseen by Wei Ji and Fan Yuanze， with contributions from Pure Land Master Shandao， Hui Jian， the head of Fahai Temple in the Western Capital， and skilled artisans Li Junzan， Cheng Renwei， and Yao Shiji， this colossal， masterfully crafted stonework was realized. Fengxian Temple stands as a symbol of the great Tang Dynasty， not only showcasing the flourishing of Buddhism during that era but also representing the pinnacle of the nation’s artistry， vividly recalling for modern viewers the grandeur of the Tang over 1，300 years ago.

Niche 1394 （Dang Qushu Cave）

The Dang Qushu Cave stands 2.54 meters high， 3.03 meters wide， and 3.39 meters deep. Positioned on the cliff above Yaofang Cave， it has a horseshoe-shaped layout with a vaulted ceiling. Carved during the late Northern Wei Dynasty， it was named Dang Qushu Cave due to a small niche within that features an inscription reading， “Dang Qushu made this statue for himself.” In the main alcove， five statues are arranged—a central Buddha flanked by two disciples and two bodhisattvas. The central Buddha， standing 2.11 meters tall， has a boat-shaped aureole surrounding the body， a round halo around the head， and a prominent topknot. Although the face has eroded， the Buddha wears a flowing robe draped in the ample-sleeved style with an undergarment， and sits cross-legged on the altar， with robe folds cascading over the front of the pedestal. The disciples’ heads are partially damaged， with both hands placed in front of their abdomens. The northern disciple is missing portions below the knee and stands on a round base. The bodhisattvas each have a peach-shaped halo; the northern bodhisattva， though missing part of the face， wears a floral crown， shoulder-draped jeweled ribbons， a necklace， a chest strap， and a crossed sash on the abdomen， with the left hand holding an object by the side of the body while the right hand， partially broken， rests near the chest. This bodhisattva stands on a lotus pedestal， while the southern bodhisattva is heavily damaged and largely missing.

Unmissable： Liu Baorui’s Statue Niche in Dang Qushu Cave

Within this cave， nine inscriptions from the Tang Dynasty are preserved， among which three were commissioned by Liu Baorui and his family. In September of the second year of the Yifeng era， following the death of his wife Zhao Ernang， Liu Baorui created two niches in her memory， showing their deep and enduring bond. Eight months later， in May of the third year of the Yifeng era， as Liu Baorui’s new wife， Fan， was expecting a child， he carved another niche to pray for a safe pregnancy. This reflects the deep-rooted presence of Buddhist faith at the time， where people sought blessings from Buddha for all aspects of life， big or small.

Unmissable： Lion Sculptures in the Six Lions Cave

The Six Lions Cave， measuring 1.47 meters high， 1.93 meters wide， and 2.32 meters deep， is located on the cliff face between Yaofang Cave and Guyang Cave， dating back to the reign of Emperor Xiaoming of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Inside， there are high platforms on three walls with representations of the Three Buddhas of the Past， Present， and Future. Each wall platform holds two lion statues， totaling six lions， each around 0.4 meters tall. On the lower west wall， two lions sit facing each other， ears perked to listen， eyes wide open， tongues extended， with one front paw on the ground and the other raised， exuding dynamism. The two lions on the south wall are similarly posed to those on the west wall. However， the two lions on the north wall stand out with distinctive characteristics： A male and a female sit back-to-back， glaring back at each other. The male lion boasts a full mane flowing to his chest， smooth fur， and a commanding presence as a lion king; the female， eyes wide and teeth bared， appears defiant， as though they have just finished a fight and remain unsatisfied with each other. All six lion sculptures feature upturned tails and an energetic posture， rendered with simplicity yet remarkable expressiveness. They have remained well-preserved， making them rare and exceptional works of art.

Niche 1504： North Market Silk Trade Shrine -- One of the Commercial Guild Sculptures

The North Market Silk Trade Shrine measures 2.8 meters high， 2.9 meters wide， and 2.76 meters deep. It is located above the Guyang Cave and was carved during the Tang Dynasty. The cave is named after the six large characters inscribed on its lintel， reading “North Market Silk Trade Shrine.” On the north wall， one inscription commemorates notable figures such as the guild elder Li Huaibi， the judge Yan Zhishen， the recorders Zhang Shenjian and Yang Qiongzhang. Another inscription mentions guild elder Liu De， guild official Zong Ying， and guild member Wei Zhili. From these inscriptions， we learn that the silk trade guild had positions such as guild elder， guild official， judge， and recorder， indicating a well-organized structure. The individuals named in the inscriptions were likely leaders in various departments of the silk trade guild. The existence of these inscriptions connects the commercial trade along the Silk Road with the merits and virtues at the Longmen Grottoes.