Longmen – Spress

Ancient Luoyang, Millennium Grottoes: Aren’t you afraid to travel to Longmen at night? Isn’t it gloomy?

editor — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 14:50:05 +0000

Some netizens asked me, Aren’t you afraid to travel to the Dragon Gate at night? Isn’t it gloomy? To be honest, I am curious about such questions. Facing exquisite art, facing the hazy night, or moon night, or rainy night, or shining stars, no matter what kind of night it is, you should feel beautiful, right? Perhaps this is the big difference between people. In a sentence from another netizen: “I always think that the Buddhist niches in Longmen in ancient times were also lit with eternal lights. Boating on the Yishui River and crossing the Longmen at night must be extremely spectacular.” Otherwise, the great poet Bai Juyi would not leave Luoyang gardens in his later years, and came to Longmen Xiangshan to settle down, and said this sentence: “In the suburbs of Luodu, the victory of mountains and rivers, the first Yan of Longmen”. On a rainy night in late April, the Longmen Grottoes brought unforgettable memories to my trip to Luoyang, and also left a hint for the next trip to Luoyang. The Yishui during the day looks a little ordinary, but with this layer of history filter, the mood of gazing at the water waves becomes richer. This thick wing of Yishui that supports the Heluo culture is still flowing slowly. . Dayu excavated Longmen Mountain, and the legend of leaping over the Dragon Gate took place here; a battle of Yique more than 2,300 years ago, Baiqi became famous in the first battle, more than 2,300 years ago, Yique is still majestic…Here, Longmen Yishui It is not just a simple natural scenery, it also hides too many ancient cultures, for thousands of years, it has witnessed the vicissitudes and glory of Longmen Grottoes. During the trip to Luoyang, Longmen Grottoes is a very important stop. From afternoon to dusk, even if it rained, it never made my steps rushed. Visiting Longmen on a rainy night is not only quiet but also sparsely visited. While listening to the rain, appreciate the grotto art. The thousand years of the ancient capital Luoyang seems to condense my heart in an instant. A stone carving art treasure house and world cultural heritage are inlaid on the west and east sides of the Yi River. On the mountain, it is in front of my eyes. When night falls, the lights are first released, and the Buddha’s light is suddenly illuminated. It is like a dream, one cave and one world, “one step into the picture scroll, one day dreaming back to the millennium”. From the Northern Wei Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, the more than 100,000 statues in front of me are not only stone carving art that astounds the world, but also a historical picture scroll that has gone through more than 1,400 years. When the soft light illuminates all the Buddhist niches, when I face each of the Buddhist niches in the rainy night, I can’t help but hold my breath, savor the enlightenment, and experience the gravity and profoundness of the grotto culture. Grottoes of different sizes and statues of different expressions are more attractive under the warm yellow lights. Especially the big Buddha Lu She, according to legend, was made by Wu Zetian in his own manner and appearance. It, together with Kassapa, Samantabhadra, Ananda, Manjushri, as well as the heavenly kings and powerful men, constitute the largest and most quintessential Buddhist niche in the Longmen Grottoes. Not only looking up close or looking far away, the smile of Luce’s Buddha is so gentle and kind. The Luxena Buddha was excavated in the 23rd year of Tang Zhenguan (AD 650), the first year after Emperor Gaozong of Tang Dynasty ascended the throne. The construction lasted three years and nine months. According to the record of “The Niche of Dalu Shena”, Wu Zetian personally presided over the consecration ceremony of the Lu Shena Buddha in order to repair the giant Buddha. Stored on the east bank of Yishui River (Ring Drum Tower). As the night becomes darker and the warm yellow lights become more prominent, the Lucena Buddha fully expresses the ideal artistic conception of the Buddhist world full of peaceful colors. Therefore, when I saw some “fearful and gloomy” comments from netizens, I couldn’t help but feel confused. In late April, Luoyang peony hadn’t withered yet, and dozens of pots of peony flowers in front of the Buddha of Lu She bloomed upright and rich, even if they were in the wind and rain. I tried to squat down and admire the Buddha through the peony, and suddenly, the noble, elegant, and solemn breath came to my face. It seems to sit on auspicious clouds with a smile on its face, a pair of beautiful eyes gazing at the world, and its eyes full of love. It is hailed by foreign tourists as the “Oriental Mona Lisa” and “the most beautiful sculpture in the world.” In fact, every stone here is telling an unforgettable past; every statue has a glorious history. Now, the Longmen Grottoes have passed through thousands of years, and they are glowing with a new look. In the eyes that people are eagerly looking forward to, they interpret the glory of Luoyang once and the glory of this life. When I left the “Xishan Grottoes” tour route and waited for the bus on the other side, I found many tourists admiring the grotto art in the night in the rain, especially the Lucena Buddha, which was truly spectacular and shocking

The most worth seeing monument in the ancient capital of Luoyang: Longmen Grottoes, the only royal grotto in the world

editor — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 14:40:09 +0000

Looking back thousands of years, the ancient capital Luoyang was brilliant and splendid. “Luoyang people”, “Luoyang city”…In the Medieval world, for a long time, people would involuntarily utter admiration when they talked about this city. But no matter how time flows and how history changes, the prosperous capitals a thousand years ago and ordinary cities after a thousand years still have the classic impression of “ancient and classical” in people’s minds. Therefore, when starting a journey to the ancient capital, Luoyang must be listed among them. I walked into Luoyang in late April and went to many places, including Luoyang Museum, Yingtianmen, Mingtang, Heaven, Baima Temple, Luoyi Ancient City, and also went to Wangcheng Park to enjoy peonies. But the most profound is the World Cultural Heritage Longmen Grottoes. Some people say that the Longmen Grottoes are the “only” monuments preserved in Luoyang today (I don’t agree). As the world’s most sculptured and largest stone carving art treasure house, it is a place that must not be missed during the trip to Luoyang, the ancient capital. Going to the Longmen Grottoes, the picture scroll presented by history becomes richer and more complicated. Dayu excavated Longmen Mountain, and the legend of Yuyue Longmen happened here; A battle of Yique more than 2,300 years ago, Baiqi became famous in the first battle. After more than 2,300 years, Yique was still majestic; the thick water of Yi that supported the Heluo culture was still flowing slowly… In Longmen, in addition to the world-renowned grotto civilization, it has too many ancient civilizations worthy of being explored or explored. But as the most eye-catching, what can be seen for a thousand years is the 1,400-year-old grotto art in front of you. The Longmen Grottoes are located in the southern suburbs of Luoyang, the ancient capital. Here, the two mountains face each other, the river flows in Iraq, the Buddha’s light and mountains, and the scenery is beautiful. It is the heavenly spectacle described by Su Guo in the Song dynasty as “the two mountain gates and the beautiful water together”. The Longmen Grottoes were first excavated in the Northern Wei Dynasty, reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty, and finally passed through more than 10 dynasties in the late Qing Dynasty. Together with the Mogao Grottoes, Yungang Grottoes, and Maijishan Grottoes, they are called China’s four largest grottoes. But unlike the other three grottoes, the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang were mostly built by royal nobles, and they are the only royal grottoes in the world. Emperor Xiaowen chiseled the Guyang Cave for Empress Feng, the statue of Lanling King Yu Wanfodong, Li Tai built Binyangnan Cave for the Queen of Longsun, Wei Guifei chiseled Jingshan Temple, and Gao Lishi built the Immortal Buddha for Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. However, these imperial grottoes are not as good as modern people’s expectations and longings for the Lucena Buddha. This largest statue is also the most talked-about. According to legend, Wu Zetian carved it according to his appearance and manners. Both the artistic level and the overall design are superb, especially the mysterious smile of the Lucena Buddha, which is praised by foreign tourists as the “Oriental Mona Lisa” and “the most beautiful statue in the world.” It serves as the “final appearance” of the Longmen Grottoes “Xishan Grottoes” tour route. The Lucena Buddha left me too deep, and it is still fresh in my memory (if it were not limited in space, I might like to write a thesis. Normally, but it also means that this trip can’t be “ended” by a travel note). For the time being, the Lucena Buddha should be put aside, let the history return to the Northern Wei period. In late April, above the misty and rainy Yishui, the long river was no longer calm. Looking back thousands of years, time came more than 1,400 years ago in the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the sound of chiseling came from Longmen Mountain. The representatives of the grottoes in the Northern Wei Dynasty include Guyang Cave, Binyang Middle Cave, Lotus Cave, Huangfugong Cave, Weizi Cave, Putai Cave, Huoshao Cave, Cixiang Cave, Road Cave, etc. Binyang South Cave, Binyang North Cave, Moya Three Buddha Niches, Ten Thousand Buddha Caves, Huijian Cave, Jingtutang, Longhua Temple, Jinan Cave and Lucena Big Buddha are representative of the grottoes of the Tang Dynasty. Although the Tang Dynasty promoted the prosperity of Buddhism, I personally appreciate the Xiuguqing statue. The statues of the Northern Wei Dynasty, especially the indescribable deep smile, the insightful philosophical wisdom, and the unrestrained demeanor of the world, seem to me to be really elegant, with the connotation of Wei-Jin demeanor. As one of the representative caves in the Northern Wei Dynasty, Binyang Middle Cave is also a very classic cave in the Longmen Grottoes. It is known as the most representative Sinicized typical cave before and after Emperor Xiaowen moved to Luoyang in the Northern Wei Dynasty. There are a total of 11 statues in the grotto. There are a group of 5 statues on the main wall, including one Buddha, two disciples and two bodhisattvas; a group of 3 statues on the south and north walls, including a standing Buddha and two wrestling bodhisattvas. These three groups of statues represent respectively The past, present, and future of Buddhism are “three generations of Buddhas”. Since the Northern Wei Dynasty advocated thinness as beauty, the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni had thin cheeks, a slender neck and a long body. The clothing patterns are dense, and the carving method uses the straight knife method of the Northern Wei Dynasty. In addition to being thin, there is also a typical feature, that is, a deep smile, giving people a deep feeling, revealing all kinds of love in the tranquility, and endless gentleness and grace in the eyes. Although it was raining to visit, although there were many tourists around, and although it was too crowded to stand firm, the smile, like a clear spring, flowed through my heart. Of course, the artistic statues in the grottoes of the Tang Dynasty have also won countless fans (including me, even though I prefer the Northern Wei Dynasty) for their solemn, elegant, graceful and luxurious style, and the Lucena Buddha is the representative. The niche of Dalushe was excavated in the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, and Wu Zetian invested 20,000 yuan as a queen to fund this huge project. The Lucena Buddha in the niche is graceful, generous and extraordinary, with a height of 17.14 meters, a head height of 4 meters, and an ear length of 1.9 meters. It is known for its mysterious smile. Imagine that this is Wu Zetian’s smile. A pair of beautiful eyes stares down slightly, watching all the creatures and the peony blossom, revealing a peaceful smile. In Luoyang City in late April, although the peony blossoms are in full bloom, the peony blossoms in front of the Buddha of Lu She are blooming splendidly. In the spring rain, they appear more atmospheric and elegant. According to records, on the day when the niche of Dalu Shena was completed, Wu Zetian personally led the civil and military officials to attend the ceremony of Lu Shena’s consecration, and worshipped the Buddha on the east bank of Yishui River and played drums and music. The ring is still left. Facing the Big Buddha, I stayed for a long time. Although the spring rains kept getting bigger and bigger, with the dusky dusk and the lights on, suddenly a “Night Journey Dragon Gate” opened.