Longmen Grottoes

In Girl in the Glass, Declan finds himself flung into an unfamiliar land. When he reaches the edge of a sheer cliff, he peers down and spots something unexpected:

Hoping for a better view, the professor inched forward onto the stone outcrop. He spotted large statues chiseled into the cliff beneath him.

What Declan spotted were the Buddhist statues of the Longmen Grottoes, ranging from colossal carvings to thousands of smaller statues along the cliffs and within caves. These carvings, spanning the Northern Wei and Tang dynasties, represent a peak in Chinese stone carving and showcase the evolution of Buddhist art in China.

The Longmen Grottoes are located in central China's Henan Province. The first were built during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534 AD), with work spanning several dynasties over 400 years. The grottoes are carved into the limestone cliffs of Mount Longmenshan and Mount Xiang, which face each other along a 1-kilometer stretch with the Yi River flowing between them. The location was strategically important, as it guarded the southern entrance to Luoyang, the nearby city which served as a capital for several dynasties.

Despite the English-sounding name, in Chinese the name Longmen Shiku means “Dragon's Gate Grottoes,” referring to the way the two mountains flanking the Yi River resemble a natural gate, with the dragon being a symbol of imperial power.

This is one of the largest and most impressive collections of Chinese Buddhist art, and is considered the pinnacle of Chinese stone carving during this period. The carvings showcase a progression in artistic styles, from the slimmer, more sinuous figures of the Northern Wei to the more robust and naturalistic depictions of the Tang Dynasty. The impressive 55-foot-tall Vairocana Buddha is a prime example of Tang Dynasty craftsmanship and is considered a masterpiece of Buddhist sculpture.

View across the river. Declan looked down from the cliff above, hidden amongst the trees.

55-foot-tall Vairocana Buddha. Note the size of the people.

Massive detailed carvings