Longmen Grottoes

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02-26-2016, 11:09 AM
GeneChing

Longmen Grottoes

I'm disappointed that we don't have a thread dedicated to this site already here. Well, time to start one.

Quote:

China’s Hidden Cave Temple Will Soon Be Open to the Public
Kate Horowitz

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IMAGE CREDIT: MARCDF VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS // PUBLIC DOMAIN

Only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world remains intact today, but that doesn't mean there aren't other wonders left to admire. The Royal Cave Temple, part of the renowned Longmen Grottoes in Henan Province, China, is a good example. And on March 10, The Daily Mail reports, for the first time in decades, the cave will be opened to the public.

The Longmen Grottoes are a testament to human creativity and dedication. Over a thousand years ago, artists carved more than 2300 caves and niches into a stretch of limestone less than a mile long. Tucked and carved into these grottoes are nearly 110,000 Buddhist statues, representing 150 years of religious and artistic history. For all their exposure to the elements and human traffic, the grottoes and their inhabitants remain remarkably well-preserved—with the possible exception of the long-hidden Royal Cave Temple, also known as the Kan Jing temple.

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Image Credit: kevinmcgill via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

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Image Credit: Kwz via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Legends of the hidden temple tell of a cave decked out with rare artifacts that span several dynasties. At 30 feet high, 33 feet deep, and 34 feet wide, the Kan Jing Temple occupies the largest grotto on the mountain. Historians believe the cave was first carved out during the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 CE) as an imperial shrine for Empress Wu Zetian and, later, her grandson, the Emperor Li Longji. The temple, like so many other national treasures, was destroyed amid the chaos of the Chinese cultural revolution in the 1960s and '70s. Archaeologists have been working to restore the cave and its treasures since, including replacing the temple’s primary statue.

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Image Credit: DominikTefert via Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
02-26-2016, 10:53 PM
RenDaHai

Been to LongMen a few times over the years, they mean to say there is a secret bit I haven't seen??

I'll go there when it opens and try to get some good pictures! Only 2 weeks away.
02-27-2016, 03:57 AM
rett2

Looking forward to seeing some pics from the newly opened bits. I had no idea there was more.
02-28-2016, 08:27 AM
ShaolinDan

Cool. I was at Longmen when I was traveling in China. Cool, but the Yungang caves were cooler...better condition, deeper, and more pigments remaining on the rock. If I remember correctly, both sites had caves that were closed to visitors.
02-29-2016, 11:31 AM
GeneChing

Shaolin secrets!

Quote:

Originally Posted by RenDaHai

Been to LongMen a few times over the years, they mean to say there is a secret bit I haven't seen??

I'll go there when it opens and try to get some good pictures! Only 2 weeks away.

Cool! Yea, I've been there many times too. It's stunning. Look forward to your report on this, RDH. Have a great trip!
07-26-2021, 10:07 AM
GeneChing

Saddened to hear this...hoping for the best.

All things are impermanent.

Quote:

Henan ramps up efforts to save cultural relics from extreme rains
By Global Times
Published: Jul 21, 2021 11:43 PM

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Longmen Grottoes scenic area in Central China's Henan Province is closed to the public on July 20, 2021 due to the flood hitting the province. Photo: CFP

All the cultural relics from the Longmen Grottoes have been well protected against the unprecedented heavy rainfall that hit Central China's Henan Province in recent days causing 25 deaths as of Wednesday. Landslides occurred nearby archaeological sites, like Zhengzhou Shang City and the Shaolin Temple, amid extreme weather, but the cultural relics remained intact.

A number of major cities in Henan have been affected by the rains and some local museums and archaeological digging sites were flooded, according to a post by the National Cultural Heritage Administration on its official WeChat account.

A video posted on social media on Tuesday shows the Shaolin Temple on Mountain Songshan being hit by heavy floods after unusually heavy rains. All the scenic spots in the area were closed to the public.

Many splendid pieces of cultural and artistic highlights of ancient China have been discovered in Henan's numerous archaeological sites.

The death toll has climbed to 25, with 7 missing in Zhengzhou on Wednesday. A total of 1.24 million residents have been affected in the province that has been ravaged by torrential rains with 160,000 being evacuated as rescue operations continue in the province, led by the People's Liberation Army.

Local authorities in Henan also made calls to save the cultural relics with various measures, including water pumping and drainage operations and increased inspections, to make sure both cultural relics and people are safe.

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