Lungmen
Lungmen
one of the largest Buddhist cave temples of China. Carved between 495 and 898 in the limestone cliff’ along the shores of the Iho River, 15 km south of Loyang, in Honan Province, it consists of several hundred caves. The principal caves—Pinyang (500-523), Kuyang (495-575), and Fenghsien (627-675)—contain statues of Buddhist deities, including the Vairochana Buddha (672-676, about 15 m high) and reliefs depicting monks, celestial dancers, and ceremonial processions. The majestically monumental sculpture of Lungmen is characterized by elegant proportions and graphic clarity of detail combined with subtle plasticity of form.