Longmen Grottoes

These grottoes are found about 12 kilometers south of the city of Luoyang. It was created when the northern Wie Dynasty moved from Datong to Louyang, one of China's seven ancient capitals. Construction of this complex of caves and grottoes began in 473AD and it stretches 1 kilometer along the banks of the Yishui river.

The Buddhist artists worked directly with the hard rock they found in the cliffs, carving nearly 100,000 religious figures throughout more than 1,400 caves, although nowadays only 2,300 are well-preserved. The Longmen Caves were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

They say that there are over two thousand caves and nearly a hundred thousand Buddha statues. I'm not sure if that's true, but it's an impressive place nonetheless. When you're walking around the Buddha statues, some of them gigantic, and thousands of caves, you realize you're standing in a truly sacred place.

They say that there are more than 2,000 caves and nearly 100,000 statues of Buddha in the Longmen Grottoes! I don't know if that's true, but it's an awesome place to visit. Walking with Buddha statues, some gigantic, thousands of caves and you realize that you are in a sacred place.

I recommend visiting the place early in morning or in the evening before sunset. There aren't many tourists and you can admire the carvings.