Longmen Grottoes

Luoyang Longmen Grottoes Tour Guide Longmen Grottoes ✅Tour Route: The Longmen Grottoes are divided into eastern and western parts, with the west being the main area, including famous caves such as the Leyi An, Thousand Buddha Cave, and Lotus Flower Cave; the east side features attractions like Xiangshan Temple, Baiyuan, and Kanjing Temple. ⚠️Do not take a return path Best Photography Spots: The best positions for capturing the Lu She Na Giant Buddha are on either side of the Buddha at the Libai Platform - using double or triple lenses can also produce amazing shots Estimated Tour Time: About three hours ↔️ Ticket Price: 🎫90 RMB per person Hours: 8:00-17:00 Subway: Take the subway line 2 to Bality Hall Station, then transfer to bus 81/53/60 to Longmen Grottoes Bus Station

We go out for a trip, always have to go to Longmen Grottoes, see the Lushena Buddha, blow the wind of Xiangshan Temple, feel the grandeur of the millennium grottoes! Some people say that watching the grottoes is very boring, and they don't want to go a second time after going once. I think that many things can only be understood but not expressed, and it is very interesting to feel the treasures of the millennium stone carving art with your heart. Bai Juyi also said: "The four suburbs of Luodu, the victory of mountains and rivers, Longmen is the first." We must always believe in the eyes of the ancients! The Longmen Grottoes scenic area is composed of four attractions: Xishan Grottoes, Dongshan Grottoes, Xiangshan Temple, and Baiyuan. The area is not small and there are many steps, which is quite tiring! 1⃣️Tickets🎫: Adults 90/person, half price for students, etc., you can search online for 99 yuan tickets, including Longmen Grottoes, Jiuzhou Pool, Yingtianmen, Paradise... 2⃣️ Transportation🚗: There are buses🚌 and taxis from the high-speed rail Longmen station, 10 yuan/person, taxi🚖 about 20. You can check the bus🚌 route by yourself if you start from the city, there are many, and you need to transfer to the bus from the subway🚇 line 2. 3⃣️There are two entrances: the Northwest Visitor Ticket Center and the Northeast Visitor Service Center. Choose the northwest gate to save time! 4⃣️Route: Xishan Grottoes➡️Cross Mingshui Bridge➡️Dongshan Grottoes➡️Xiangshan Temple➡️Baiyuan The Xishan Grottoes are the core of the scenic area, and the main grottoes are in Xishan, a spectacular group of grottoes. The scale of Dongshan Grottoes is not large, there are fewer grottoes, and those who are not interested can not visit, but you can take pictures of the grottoes group on the opposite bank from Dongshan, Lushena Buddha, etc. Walk from Xishan to Dongshan across the Mingshui Bridge, you can also take pictures of the landscape on the opposite bank without going up the mountain, there is a special viewing platform. Xiangshan Temple is on the top of Xiangshan, and you have to go up a steep step, which is not high. There is a villa where Chiang Kai-shek once lived. Personally, I think it can be filmed for photography, but there are not many landscapes. You can go if you have enough time! Baiyuan is the real tomb of Bai Juyi, there is a teahouse inside, if the weather is good, you can sit in the afternoon. Very comfortable! There is nothing else to see, you can ignore it if you are not interested! Next is the question that everyone cares about most, "Will the lights of the Longmen Grottoes be on? When will they be on" For the protection of cultural relics, the Longmen Grottoes have now stopped night tours, but the small Buddha niches use solar lights, so as long as the sun sets in the west (about 6 o'clock), the lights will still turn on automatically! The staff along the way all said that the lights would not be on. I suspect it was their unified rhetoric. Then around 6 o'clock, the staff of the battery car would keep shouting "Get off work, get off work, hurry up and take the car out of the park", in fact, there is no need to hurry, even without a battery car, it only takes 10 minutes to walk out of the scenic area from the Buddha Offering Platform. But what needs to be mentioned here is that the lights are all small Buddha niches. As for whether the Lushena Buddha niche will light up, it depends entirely on the Buddha's fate. Some bloggers say that it will light up around 7 o'clock. Anyway, when I went there, I waited until 7 o'clock and it didn't light up. People also left one after another, so I wish you good luck!

How can you not visit the millennium-old Longmen Grottoes when you come to Luoyang? Although many statues inside have been damaged by human or natural causes, it still doesn't change the fact that this is a miraculous masterpiece of the ages! The Longmen Grottoes are divided into the West and East Grottoes, which are along a single line, and you can't go back the same way. I entered from the west and exited from the east. The most famous statue, the Giant Buddha of Lushena, is in the West Grottoes, while the East Grottoes have the Xiangshan Temple and the Bai Juyi Mausoleum. However, I was there for the night view. I set off in the afternoon, and after visiting the West Grottoes, I went to the Li Buddha Platform to wait for the night view. The staff said the lights would be on at 6:30 PM, and many people were waiting there, even a huge army of drones. The scene was quite spectacular, and the night view of the Longmen Grottoes certainly did not disappoint. After watching, I left the scenic area via the Longmen Bridge. There are many buses back to the city area at the entrance of the scenic area. After returning to the city, I went to the Cross Street to eat and eat and eat!

The Longmen Grottoes are the most abundant and largest scale stone carving art in the world. Even after seeing it countless times on TV, witnessing it in person this time still left me deeply shocked! 😲 🐟 Leaping Carp at Longmen It is said that Longmen was carved out during Yu the Great's efforts to control the waters, and the legend of the carp leaping over the dragon's gate took place here. The grottoes began to be carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty under Emperor Xiaowen, flourished during the Tang Dynasty, and ended in the late Qing Dynasty, spanning over 1400 years. 🗞️ A 'Milestone' in Grotto Art The world's unique royal grottoes 👉🏻 The Lu She Na Buddha carved in the image of Empress Wu Zetian, the Guyang Cave excavated for Empress Dowager Feng by Emperor Xiaowen, the Binyang South Cave built by Li Tai for Empress Zhangsun, and so on. The scale is immense 👉🏻 There are currently 2,345 grotto niches and over 110,000 statues. A lot of color painting was used during construction, but most of it has faded now. 🪨 Scenic Area Tour The Longmen Grottoes mainly consist of the West Hill Grottoes, East Hill Grottoes, Xiangshan Temple, and Bai Garden. ✔️ Among them, the central spot is the Grand Lu She Na niche, which is not only the largest in scale at Longmen Grottoes but also the most exquisite group of cliff sculptures. The Lu She Na Buddha statue in Nara's Todai-ji is modeled after this one. ✔️ For photography enthusiasts, the lit-up grottoes at night are truly beautiful! Since the lights are solar-powered, they light up one by one, and if the weather is bad, some lights may not turn on. So the night view captured each day will be different～ 🪘 Touring Tips Many guides suggest entering the park at 4 PM, then after touring the grottoes, taking photos of the night view of the grottoes from the opposite bank of the river. But based on our actual visit, entering at this time doesn't leave time to visit Xiangshan Temple 🥹. So for those who want a thorough tour, consider entering the park a bit earlier. Be prepared to climb stone stairs, so wear sports shoes. Take sun protection and mosquito repellent in the summer. After enjoying the night view, you can take a sightseeing bus back to the exit, 1️⃣0️⃣/person.

| Longmen Grottoes | Among the suburbs of the ancient capital Luoyang, the scenic beauty of the mountains and rivers is best represented by Longmen!!! The Longmen Grottoes are listed as a World Cultural Heritage site and are considered the foremost of China's four great grottoes. The Longmen Grottoes are a microcosm of the faith during the Northern Wei Dynasty and the prosperous Tang Dynasty, divided into the West Hill and East Hill. The main cluster of Buddha statues and caves for viewing is located on West Hill, where the statues and caves are relatively well-preserved, and also where the statue of the Vairocana Buddha is situated. Across the river, facing West Hill is East Hill, also known as Xiangshan, which features the famous Xiangshan Temple and the Bai Juyi Mausoleum. Detailed route: The Longmen Grottoes are divided into West Hill and East Hill, separated by the Yi River. Both hills have their own scenic area entrances. If you take a taxi to the East Hill entrance, you will need to take a shuttle to the West Hill entrance. // It is said that Baiyuan is just outside the East Hill scenic area exit, which means once you leave for Baiyuan, you cannot return to the scenic area. If you do not specifically want to visit Baiyuan, you can directly take a taxi to West Hill and enter from there. After touring West Hill, you can cross the bridge to East Hill. Note that the bridge only allows one-way traffic and you cannot turn back. Visitors can join an official guided tour at the West Hill visitor center. The official guides mainly cover the main caves of West Hill and the tour lasts about 1 hour. The quality is guaranteed, but the overall duration is relatively short. East Hill mainly features the East Hill Grottoes, Xiangshan Temple, and Baiyuan. The staff says that it takes over 2 hours to visit. Ticket Price: 90 Business Hours: 8:00-18:00 Transportation: Only a 30-minute drive from Luoyang city center

Luoyang, this city that carries the glorious history of thirteen ancient dynasties, boasts one of its treasures, the world-famous Longmen Grottoes. Located on the Longmen and Xiangshan mountains on both sides of the Yi River, the Longmen Grottoes are like a historical scroll unfolding, spanning from the Northern Wei to the Tang Dynasty, with over four hundred years of carving time, bringing together more than one hundred thousand Buddha statues and stele art, representing the pinnacle of Chinese stone carving art. Every Buddha statue, every mural, silently tells the faith and culture of that era. 🏞️【Must-Visit Attractions】 - West Hill Grottoes: The essence of the site, home to the most large-scale niches, including the not-to-be-missed treasure of the caves, the giant statue of Vairocana Buddha, standing at 17 meters tall, with a compassionate and solemn face, awe-inspiring. - East Hill Grottoes: Relatively more serene than West Hill, fewer grottoes but exquisite, especially the group of Arhat statues in the Jingjing Temple, showcasing superb carving skills. - Xiangshan Temple: Located on East Hill, facing the grottoes across the river, with a long history, the Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi once lived here, the temple environment is tranquil, a good place for rest. - Bai Garden (Bai Juyi's Tomb): Strolling through the bamboo path, experiencing the elegant life of Tang Dynasty literati, this is the best place to pay homage to the poet demon Bai Juyi. 📍【Detailed Address】 Luolong District, Luoyang City, Henan Province, Dragon Gate Town. 🚗【Transportation Tips】 - Public Transport: Take bus 60 or 81 from Luoyang city center directly to Longmen Grottoes Station. - Self-driving: Drive along the Luoyang-Luanchuan Expressway, follow the signs after the exit, the scenic area has a large parking lot. 🍲【Food Recommendations】 - Luoyang Water Banquet: A traditional feast in Luoyang that must be tried, mainly featuring soups, such as Peony Yan Dish, Lian Tang Meat Slices, with a delicious taste and unique characteristics. - Bu Fan Tang: A local snack with a hundred years of history, with a rich soup, served with thin pancakes and various ingredients, with a unique flavor. 🏞️【Nearby Attractions】 - White Horse Temple: China's first ancient temple, the first official temple after Buddhism was introduced to China, about half an hour's drive from Longmen Grottoes. - Guanlin: A temple and mausoleum commemorating the famous Three Kingdoms general Guan Yu, integrating ancestral halls, tombs, and gardens, with a profound cultural heritage. In the Longmen Grottoes of Luoyang, every step is a dialogue through a thousand years, every gaze is a deep look into history. This is not only a visual feast but also a purification of the soul! Let's feel the shock and beauty that transcends time and space together!

The renowned Longmen Grottoes are the foremost of the 'Four Great Grottoes of China,' and a visit to Luoyang would not be complete without seeing them, especially when the lights come on at night—you must go‼️ The Longmen Grottoes are stunningly beautiful to me, especially the moment when the lights are turned on at night. Thousands of Buddha's lights shine, piercing the soul, and whether one has faith or not, they will be healed in an instant. The Lushena Buddha has stood unyielding for thousands of years. With kind eyes and a gentle smile, he looks down upon all beings who come and go. And although I am just a passerby in haste, just quietly observing him seems to allow me to let go of my obsessions and gain a moment of peace and tranquility. 【Tips】 1⃣️It is recommended to enter through the northwest gate, which is closer to the scenic area, and follow the crowd without having to backtrack. 2⃣️Around the Qingming Festival, the lights are turned on at about 6:30 in the evening. If you want to see the night view, there is no need to go too early, about 2 hours in advance is sufficient. 3⃣️Be aware that there is a ticket checkpoint at the Manshui Bridge, and once you exit the checkpoint, you cannot return to the side of the Lushena Buddha.

#2023TravelWish #china #henanprovince Longmen Grottoes is somewhere my partner was reluctant to travel to. Having been born and raised in Henan, he had never been there and so was sceptical about the draw of these mountain carvings. I am now however glad to report that this was his favourite destination on our trip! Although the largest, most impressive Buddha carving was covered for repairs (it opened back up again a few days later! Grr!) my favourite part happened to be a small calve with over 5000 tiny carvings of the Buddha covering the walls. Many of the carvings were left headless from years of thievery which was an interesting fact to note. But now the statues are well protected and well worth the visit!

The night visit to the Longmen Grottoes is now open The open areas are 'West Hill Grottoes' and 'Xiangshan Temple' One ticket🎫 covers a strategy for day + evening + night views🌃 🔔Time: Arrive at the scenic area at 4 PM 📍Location: Northwest Service Area 🚶Route: Northwest Service Area—Dashi Gate Ticket Check—Tour West Hill Grottoes—Reach Manshui Bridge by 6 PM—Cross the bridge to the opposite of the Lushena Buddha at the worship platform and wait for the lights—Xiangshan Temple—Northwest Service Area ‼️Once you exit Manshui Bridge, you cannot return to West Hill ‼️This route does not allow entry to Baiyuan after 6 PM as it closes ‼️At the worship platform, you can arrive by 6 PM during the day, sunset at 7 PM, and complete darkness by 7:30 PM ‼️The return electric cart only goes to the commercial street, and there is a walk to the exit ‼️The official explanations are given by student interns, which are more textbook-style ‼️There is a lot of walking, so comfortable shoes are a must ‼️Shops on the commercial street start closing after 7 PM, so shop in the afternoon if needed ‼️There's no need to stay near the scenic area, as staying in Luoyang city is not far ‼️Besides the Lushena Buddha and the Biyie✌️ Buddha, the other sights are also worth a detailed look 🙏 Not-to-be-missed spots in the West Hill Grottoes: Lushena Giant Buddha: The iconic Buddha statue of Longmen, said to be inspired by the statue of Empress Wu Zetian, the Buddha stands 17 meters tall Thousand Buddha Cave: Located within the West Hill Grottoes, named for the fifteen thousand small seated and standing Buddhas neatly arranged on the north and south sides Three Buddha Niches: Located between Binyang Three Caves and Thousand Buddha Cave, the three Buddhas represent the past, present, and future, a typical theme of the Three Worlds of Buddha Binyang Three Caves: Binyang South Cave, Binyang Middle Cave, Binyang North Cave. The theme of the Three Worlds of Buddha, namely the past, present, and future Buddhas, with the main Buddha being Sakyamuni Guyang Cave: Carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty, with a history of 1500 years, it is one of the earliest excavated, rich in Buddhist content, and high in calligraphic art among the Longmen Grottoes group

#familytrips2024 Our family voyage to the Longmen Grottoes was an awe-inspiring odyssey through ancient artistry and spiritual devotion. As we wandered among the towering limestone cliffs adorned with thousands of intricately carved Buddhist statues and reliefs, we were transported into a realm where history and mythology intertwine. Each cave and sculpture told a story of faith, perseverance, and cultural exchange, leaving us humbled by the sheer scale and beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage site. Amidst the serene backdrop of the Yi River, we found ourselves marveling at the craftsmanship of ancient artisans and pondering the significance of these sacred sanctuaries throughout the ages. Dreaming forward, our next family expedition leads us to the mystical landscapes of Machu Picchu in Peru. Nestled amidst the Andes Mountains, Machu Picchu offers a journey back in time to the heart of the Inca Empire, where ancient ruins whisper tales of ingenuity and resilience. We envision hiking along ancient trails, exploring hidden temples, and gazing in awe at the breathtaking panoramic views of this legendary citadel. Machu Picchu promises a blend of adventure, history, and natural beauty that will ignite our imaginations and create cherished memories for years to come.

The pinnacle of Chinese stone carving art, dreaming back to the prosperous Tang Dynasty at the Longmen Grottoes|||In the fields around Luoyang, where the landscape is supreme, Longmen stands out. The Longmen Grottoes began to be carved during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty, flourished in the Tang Dynasty, and ended in the late Qing Dynasty. They were constructed over more than 1400 years during successive dynasties including the Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Ming, and Qing, with over 110,000 statues created. This article represents the representative caves of the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties, the niche of the Great Buddha Vairocana, which was the peak period of statue creation in the Longmen Grottoes. Among all the caves at Longmen, about 30% are from the Northern Wei Dynasty, 60% from the Tang Dynasty, and the remaining 10% from other dynasties. The main statue, Vairocana, means 'radiant light that shines everywhere.' Standing 17.14 meters tall, with a head 4 meters high and ears 1.9 meters long, it is famous for its mysterious smile and is known as the 'Eastern Mona Lisa' by foreign tourists. The face is full and round, with wavy hair on top, eyebrows curved like new moons, and a pair of beautiful eyes gently gazing downward, revealing a serene smile, wise and compassionate, inspiring respect without fear. On the day the niche of the Great Buddha Vairocana was completed, Empress Wu Zetian, who donated twenty thousand strings of cash for cosmetics, personally led civil and military officials to participate in the consecration ceremony of Vairocana and worshipped on the east bank of the Yi River with drumming and music. To this day, the drum platform still remains here. Centered around the generous and extraordinary Vairocana, a group of artistic figures with rich emotional texture vividly expresses an ideal realm filled with serene colors. This group of statues reflects the great material and spiritual power of the Tang Dynasty, showcasing the highest achievements of Tang Dynasty sculpture art.

【Opening】 Luoyang, this ancient city with a long history, carries a rich cultural heritage and magnificent natural scenery. Whether it's the thousand-year-old carvings of the Longmen Grottoes or the wisdom-filled White Horse Temple, they are all fascinating. Next, let's embark on a three-day tour of Luoyang full of surprises and discoveries! 【Itinerary Overview】 Day①: Step into the Longmen Grottoes and feel the shock and charm of the art of millennia-old stone carvings. Day②: Explore the historical context at the Luoyang Museum → Contemplate Buddhist wisdom at the White Horse Temple → Admire exquisite ceramics at the Tri-colored Glazed Pottery Museum → Appreciate the ancient city's style at Lijing Gate → Then head to Shizi Street to taste authentic local cuisine. Day③: Search for delicacies on Xigong Street → Stroll leisurely in Wangcheng Park → Witness the vicissitudes of history at the Ying Tian Gate → Travel through time at the Luoyi Ancient City → Finally, enjoy the beauty of the waters at Jiuzhou Pool. 【Experience Sharing】 Luoyang Museum: Book three days in advance to avoid missing out on wonderful exhibitions. A professional guide costs 58 yuan per person, offering in-depth interpretations of the stories behind the artifacts. Ancient Tomb Museum: A real tomb exploration experience to satisfy your adventurous desires. Luoyang Water Banquet: The sour and spicy taste is unique, but I personally prefer the richness of beef and mutton soup. Longmen Grottoes: The night view is dreamlike, it is recommended to go after 7:30 pm. The lighting of the giant Buddha needs to be manually controlled, and whether it can be lit depends on luck. Guanlin Temple: The burial site of Guan Yu's head, a must-visit for fans of the Three Kingdoms history. Mount Laojun: A double cableway experience, a ten-mile picturesque screen is all in view, and the elevator goes directly to the golden summit, easy and labor-saving. White Horse Temple: In addition to visiting, you can also rent exotic costumes for photos, and the makeup shops at the entrance have everything you need. Luoyi Ancient City and Ying Tian Gate: An excellent photo spot for Hanfu enthusiasts, but note that the lights go out at 11 pm, so it's advised to arrive early. Xigong Street: A paradise for foodies, Fang Guangzong's spicy soup and the street's potstickers are recommended. 【About Food】 Apricot Blossom Water Banquet Hall: Generous portions, peony swallow dishes are beautiful but have a unique taste, which requires adaptation. The sliced meat in soup, fried meatballs, and vegetarian potstickers are also delicious. Shi Li Xiang (Yiyong Street Store): Affordable prices, authentic taste. Especially recommended are the beef tripe hotpot, osmanthus ice powder, and rose two-tone rice cake. Today's Xiaojie Tianfu: Located on Xigong Street, it offers great value for money. The traditional plum soup and sweet and sour spicy potatoes are must-try dishes. Old Luoyang Noodle House: Starch noodles and confused noodles are authentic choices, and hawthorn salad and meat potstickers are also specialty dishes. Shizi Street Snacks: Although there is nothing particularly outstanding, it is bustling and a good place to stroll and experience the local atmosphere. The wheel cake, however, is not the first choice. Almond tea and sour soup crispy meat: Tasted at Shi Li Xiang (Yiyong Street Store), it is one of the local specialty foods. Fried meatballs: As a traditional snack of Luoyang, it tastes even better when paired with other dishes from the Apricot Blossom Water Banquet Hall. 【Conclusion】 A three-day tour of Luoyang allows us to wander in the long river of history, feeling the charm and grace of the ancient capital. Whether it's the weight of history or the temptation of food, it makes one linger and forget to return. I hope this guide will add more excitement and fun to your trip to Luoyang!