Longmen Grottoes

The grotto complex stretches for 1 kilometer along the mountain, with over 2,300 niches and more than 110,000 stone Buddha statues preserved, witnessing the evolution of Buddhist art over 500 years. Unlike plain urban cultural attractions, it boasts magnificent cliff-side Buddhist sculptures and natural river mountain landscapes integrated as one. The absolute core highlight is the Grand Vairocana Buddha in Fengxian Temple, a 17-meter-high masterpiece rumored to be modeled after Empress Wu Zetian’s facial features. Other must-see spots include Guyang Cave (birthplace of the 20 Longmen Calligraphy Masterpieces), Wanfo Cave housing 15,000 miniature Buddha statues, Binyang Three Caves, Lotus Cave and Prescription Cave with ancient medical recipes. The scenic area covers four interconnected zones: West Hill Grottoes (the essence part), East Hill Grottoes (panoramic viewing platform), Xiangshan Temple and Bai Garden (the tomb of the great poet Bai Juyi). It is perfect for cultural heritage research, art appreciation, historical study and cliff landscape photography, and can be combined with White Horse Temple and Luoyang Museum to form a classic Luoyang historical and cultural in-depth itinerary.