Yique Mountain Scenery, Longmen Grottoes

The Longmen Grottoes are located 13 kilometers south of Luoyang City, nestled between two mountains: Xiangshan to the east and Longmenshan to the west. The Yi River flows from south to north, "shaped like a natural gate," historically known as "Yique." The grottoes currently house 2,345 Buddha niches, over 100,000 statues, and more than 2,800 inscriptions and steles, making it the largest and most richly sculpted stone treasure trove in the world. It has been recognized by UNESCO as "the pinnacle of Chinese stone carving art." The grottoes began to be carved before Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty moved the capital to Luoyang in 493 AD. Between 493 and 528 AD, Buddha statues embodying the "elegant and clear images" suited to the Han ethnic aesthetic and culture of the Central Plains were created, and sites such as Guyang Cave, Qianxi Temple, and Binyang South Cave were constructed. Emperor Qianlong once visited Longmen and left an imperial stele pavilion at Xiangshan Temple in Longmen. My visit to Longmen left me with three impressions. First: the sheer number of stone carvings and the exquisite craftsmanship of the statues are breathtaking! Second: the heavy damage caused by wars and looting to the statues is deeply regrettable and heartbreaking! Third: the two mountains facing each other, the clear waves of the Yi River, the verdant pines and cypresses, solemn and serene—this truly is a fairyland! No wonder poet Tai Shaobai often lived here and left the famous quatrain, "Longmen has only ten temples, Xiangshan is the foremost." Truly worthy of its status as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and a 5A-rated tourist attraction! Longmen not only has the grottoes and Xiangshan but also features a distinctive ancient street and intangible cultural heritage delicacies. If you visit Longmen at night, as dusk falls, the ancient city walls and palace lantern-lit streets create a timeless atmosphere. The night at Longmen Ancient Street is a journey through time, a meeting of past and present! The ancient street is brilliantly lit, with visitors dressed in Hanfu and Tang dynasty costumes weaving through, as if returning to the prosperous Sui and Tang dynasties, immersing themselves in scenes of craftsmen carving grottoes and the Lantern Festival prayers of the Wu Zhou period.