The Buddhist cave temples near Luoyang, China, known for colossal stone sculptures are the Longmen Grottoes.
The grottoes are carved into limestone cliffs along the Yi River south of Luoyang in Henan Province. Construction began in the Northern Wei period in the late fifth century and continued through later dynasties, especially the Tang dynasty. Thousands of statues, niches, inscriptions, and reliefs occupy the cliff faces.
The most celebrated group is the Fengxian Temple complex, whose central Vairocana Buddha was completed in 675 under the patronage of Empress Wu Zetian. Its monumental scale and carefully modeled faces demonstrate the confidence and technical skill of Tang Buddhist sculpture.
Longmen is often confused with the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang and the Yungang Grottoes near Datong. All are major Buddhist sites, but Longmen is distinguished by its concentration of carved limestone imagery beside the Yi River.