Longmen caves were carved into the hard rock cliffs of Xiang Shan "Fragrant Hill" on the east bank and Longmen Shan on the west bank of the Yi River, about 9 miles south of LuoYang city in Henan province.
They span about a kilometer and consist of over 2000 caves & niches (grottoes) with Buddhist images and inscriptions, beginning in A.D. 493 during the Northern Wei dynasty when the capital was moved to LuoYang, and continuing for 600 years, through the Tang and Northern Song dynasties.
Unfortunately, the images in the caves suffered from erosion during their 1500-year history, and many of the finest pieces were stolen during the 1930's.
The photos below were taken primarily of the caves on the west bank of the river during early October 2004.
