The history of Longmen Grottoes or Music Buddha

Longmen Grottoes, as a treasure house of Buddhist art, was announced by the State Council as the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units as early as 1961, and by the State Council as the first batch of national-level scenic spots in 1982. On November 3th, 2, UNESCO listed Longmen Grottoes in the List of World Cultural Heritage Lushena Buddha. In January 26, it was jointly awarded "National Civilized Scenic Area" by the Central Civilization Office, the Ministry of Construction and the National Tourism Administration. In April 27, it was rated as the first batch of "5A-level tourist attractions" in China by the National Tourism Administration. In 29, Longmen Grottoes was included in world record association of China as the grottoes with the largest number of existing grottoes in China, creating the largest number of existing grottoes in China. Longmen Grottoes is located 13 kilometers south of Luoyang City. It is the confrontation between Xiangshan Mountain and Longmenshan Mountain. The Yi River flows through it and looks like a natural gate, so it was called "Yi Que" in ancient times. In the Sui Dynasty, Yang Guang, Emperor Yangdi, once climbed Mangshan Mountain in the north of Luoyang, and saw Yi Que in the south of Luoyang from a distance, so he said to his attendants, Isn't this the gateway of the real dragon emperor? Why didn't the ancients build their capital here? A minister replied obsequiously, the ancients were not ignorant, just waiting for your majesty. Emperor Yangdi was very happy after hearing this, so he built the Eastern Capital of the Sui Dynasty in Luoyang, and the main entrance of the palace was opposite to Yi Que. Since then, Yi Que has been called Longmen by people's habits. Longmen has beautiful scenery, pleasant scenery and hot springs. Since ancient times, the color of Longmen Mountain has been listed as the crown of the eight scenic spots in Luoyang. Bai Juyi, a great poet in the Tang Dynasty, once said, "Luodu has four suburbs, and the mountains and rivers win, and Longmen is the first." Longmen Grottoes are dug between the cliffs that depend on mountains and rivers. It began around the time when Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty moved from Pingcheng (now Datong City, Shanxi Province) to Luoyang. At that time, Emperor Xiaowen deeply felt that the capital was biased towards the north, which was not conducive to rule, and Luoyang, located in the Central Plains, had superior natural conditions, so he moved the capital to Luoyang in 493 AD, and at the same time started the construction of Longmen Grottoes. Longmen Grottoes experienced the Eastern Wei Dynasty, the Western Wei Dynasty, the Northern Qi Dynasty, the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty for 4 years, of which the Northern Wei Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty were built on a large scale for more than 14 years. Therefore, among all the caves in Longmen, the Northern Wei Dynasty accounted for about 3%, the Tang Dynasty accounted for 6%, and other dynasties only accounted for about 1%. According to statistics, there are 2345 caves and more than 7 pagodas in the East and West Mountains. Longmen Grottoes is the place with the largest number of ancient inscriptions in China, and it is known as the ancient forest of steles. There are more than 2,86 inscriptions in * *, among which the long-standing Longmen Twenty Pieces and the tablet of Yi Que Buddhist Shrine in Chu Geliang are the models of Wei stele and Lianhua Cave

Tang Kai respectively, which can be called the excellent works of China calligraphy art. There are more than 11, statues in Longmen Mountain. The largest Buddha statue, Lushena Buddha, is 17.14 meters high, with a head height of 4 meters and an ear length of 1.9 meters. The smallest Buddha statues are in the Lotus Cave, each only 2 cm long, which is called micro-carving. Longmen Grottoes is the most concentrated place where the royal nobles made vows and statues in the past dynasties, and it is the embodiment of the royal will and behavior. The statues in the Northern Wei Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty reflect very different styles of the times. The statues of the Northern Wei Dynasty lost the rough, majestic and vigorous features of the statues of Yungang Grottoes here, but the atmosphere of life gradually became stronger and tended to be lively, delicate and gentle. These statues of the Northern Wei Dynasty have slender faces, thin shoulders and straight chests, and the clothes lines are carved with a straight knife, which is strong and simple. During the Northern Wei Dynasty, people advocated thinness as beauty, so the Buddha sculptures also pursued the artistic style of showing bones and clearing images. In the Tang Dynasty, people liked to take fat as beauty, so the face of the Buddha statue in the Tang Dynasty was round, the shoulders were broad, the chest was bulging, and the carving of the clothing pattern was made with a round knife, which was natural and smooth. The Tang Dynasty statues of Longmen Grottoes inherited the excellent traditions of the Northern Wei Dynasty and absorbed the culture of the Han nationality, creating a vigorous, vivid and simple and natural realistic style, which reached the peak of Buddha carving art. Longmen Grottoes is also a treasure of calligraphy art history. The famous calligraphy masterpiece Longmen 2 is the best calligraphy selected by later generations of Bei Tuo connoisseurs from the numerous inscriptions of stone carvings in Longmen Grottoes. These inscriptions not only record the motive and purpose of the wishing man's statue, but also provide a basis for the archaeological dating of grottoes by stages. Kang Youwei, a scholar in the Qing Dynasty, strongly advocated the use of Wei stele in writing in the whole society, and praised Wei Bei for his ten beauties, such as leaping brushwork, natural structure and rich flesh and blood. Today, Wei steles are widely used as slogans and decorative characters. From this, it can be seen that the twenty products occupy a decisive position in calligraphy. Longmen Grottoes is an artistic expression of Buddhist culture, but it also reflects the political, economic and cultural fashion at that time. The grotto is a large stone carving art museum, because it preserves a large number of physical materials in religion, art, architecture, calligraphy, music, costumes and medicine.

Edit the introduction of this scenic spot

The scenery is beautiful. There are two green hills facing each other in the east and west, and the Yishui slowly flows northward. Looking from a distance, it looks like a natural gate, so it was called "Yi Que" in ancient times. Since ancient times, it has been the first landscape of Youlong Gate. Longmen Grottoes began to be excavated around the time when Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty moved the capital to Luoyang (AD 493). Later, after the Eastern and Western Wei Dynasties, the Northern Qi Dynasty, and the Sui, Tang and Song Dynasties, it was continuously built on a large scale for more than 4 years. It is densely distributed on the cliffs of the east and west mountains of Yishui, which is 1 km long from north to south. There are 2,345 existing caves, more than 2,68 inscriptions and inscriptions, more than 7 pagodas and more than 1, statues. The largest Buddha statue is as high as 17.14 meters, and the smallest is only 2 centimeters. All these reflect the extremely high artistic attainments of the working people in ancient China. Qianxi Temple Qianxi Temple is the first large cave at the northern end of Longmen West Mountain. It is more than nine meters high and nine meters wide, and nearly seven meters deep. It was built about 1,3 years ago in the early Tang Dynasty. The algae well at the top of the cave is a shallow carved lotus flower. The main Buddha, Amitabha, sits on the Sumeru platform, with a plump face, a bulging chest and clothes hanging obliquely in front of the seat. All parts of his body are well-proportioned and wise, and the whole posture gives people a sense of silence and kindness. On the left side of the main Buddha is the great disciple Jia Ye, and on the right side is the little disciple Ananda. Next to the two disciples were avalokitesvara and Avalokitesvara. In particular, the general trend of the south wall is the bodhisattva, which is plump and gentle in shape and quiet in manner, and has a 1: 1 replica on display in the Palace Museum. Amitabha Buddha and the two bodhisattvas on both sides are called the Three Saints of the West, that is, the three saints who are in charge of the western paradise, and they are the objects of pure land Buddhism belief. Binyang Middle Cave Binyang Middle Cave is a representative cave in the Northern Wei Dynasty. "Binyang" means to welcome the birth of the sun. The Third Cave in Binyang was dug in the Northern Wei Dynasty, which was built by Xuan Wudi of the Northern Wei Dynasty for his father, Emperor Xiaowen. It started in 5 AD, lasted for 24 years, and employed 82,366 people. Later, due to the court coup and the death of the host Liu Teng, only one of the three planned caves (Binyang Middle Cave, South Cave and North Cave) was completed, and the main statues of South Cave and North Cave were completed in the early Tang Dynasty. The middle cave of Binyang is a horseshoe-shaped plane with a dome top and a lotus cover with double petals carved in the center. The lotus is surrounded by eight prostitutes and two patrons. Their clothes are fluttering, soaring around the lotus treasure cover in the wind, and their posture is beautiful and moving. The cave has the theme of III Buddha, that is, past, present and future III Buddha. The main Buddha is Sakyamuni. He is the founder of Buddhism, whose original name is Siddhartha Gautama, and he was the son of the ancient Indian king Susuda. He lived in the same era as Confucius in China, 12 years older than Confucius. He became a monk at the age of 29, and after six years, he became a Buddha and founded Buddhism. Because the Northern Wei Dynasty advocated thinness as beauty, the main Buddha Sakyamuni had thin cheeks, a slender neck and a slender figure. The clothing lines are dense, and the carving technique is the straight knife method of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Because Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty carried out a series of sinicization policies after moving the capital to Luoyang, the costume of the main Buddha in the cave changed from the cassock that favored the right shoulder of the Buddha statue in Yungang Grottoes to the cassock with a wide robe and big sleeves. All the two disciples and bodhisattvas of Sakyamuni. The two Bodhisattvas are gentle and sincere with smiles. There are also statues on the left and right walls, all of which are a Buddha and two bodhisattvas, wearing robes and robes, standing on the lotus seat. On the north and south sides of the front wall of the cave, there are four layers of exquisite relief from top to bottom. The first layer is a relief with the story of Vimalakīrti Jing as the theme, which is called "Vimo Change". The second layer is two stories about Buddha. The third floor is the famous map of the Empress Dowager. The fourth floor is the relief image of the "King of Ten Gods". In particular, the pictures of the emperors' rituals and buddhas on the third floor, which reflect the Buddhist activities of the court and depict the Buddhist's pious, serious and peaceful state of mind, are accurate in modeling and beautifully made, and represent the highly developed level of genre paintings of life at that time, and have important artistic and historical values. Unfortunately, it was stolen abroad in the 193s and 4s of last century. It is now on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and Nelson Art Museum in Kansas, USA. Binyang South Cave The cave in Binyang South Cave was excavated in the Northern Wei Dynasty, but several major Buddha statues in the cave were completed in the early Tang Dynasty. The main Buddha in the cave is Amitabha, with a full face, broad shoulders and a plump figure, which embodies the style of taking fat as beauty in the Tang Dynasty. Binyang South Cave was carved by Wang Wei Lee Tae, the fourth son of Li Shimin of Emperor Taizong, on the basis of the abandonment of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was built for the merits of his mother, the eldest grandson, and belongs to the transitional period. There are seven statues in the cliff, of which three are sitting on the Buddha and four are standing on the Buddha. This combination of statues is extremely rare in China Cave Temple. In the middle, the main Buddha is Maitreya, sitting on a square pedestal, and the top of his head is damaged. Only the outline is carved without polishing. According to Buddhist scriptures, Maitreya Buddha is a "future Buddha" and appeared as the successor of the current Buddha Sakyamuni. Wu Zetian used Maitreya belief to create public opinion for her accession to the throne, and after her accession to the throne, she called herself "cishi" (that is, Maitreya), which promoted the popularity of Maitreya belief. It is in this historical background that the excavation of the three Buddhist shrines on the cliff appeared. With the collapse of the Wu Zhou regime, the three Buddhist shrines on the cliff also stopped working. Although this group of statues is a semi-finished product, it provides a valuable material for us to understand the excavation procedure of grotto statues. Wanfo Cave The Wanfo Cave is named after 15, small buddhas carved neatly on the north and south sides of the cave. The cave has a front and back room structure, with two lions and two lions in the front room and one Buddha, two disciples, two bodhisattvas and two heavenly kings in the back room. It is the most complete cave in Longmen Grottoes. There is a beautiful lotus flower at the top of the cave, surrounded by an inscription: "It was completed on November 3th, the first year of Yonglong in Datang, and Yao Shenbiao, the great supervisor, transported Zen masters in the inner Dojo, and 15, statues were like a niche". It shows that the cave was excavated under the auspices of Yao Shenbiao, a second-class female official in the palace, and Zen Master Zhiyun in the Inner Dojo, and was completed in 68 AD, the first year of Yonglong in Tang Gaozong. The main Buddha in the cave is Amitabha, sitting on a double lotus pedestal. His face is plump and round, his shoulders are generous, and the simple and smooth clothing pattern uses the carving technique of the Tang Dynasty round knife. The main Buddha's "fearless seal" means that there is no fear between heaven and earth, and I am the only one. The main Buddha sits on the lotus throne, and four King Kong Lux are carved at the waist. The majestic posture of struggling upward is in sharp contrast with the calmness of the main Buddha, and it also sets off the serenity of the main Buddha. There are also fifty-two lotus flowers behind the main Buddha, and there is a bodhisattva sitting on each lotus flower. They sit or sit sideways, or hold lotus flowers, or whisper to each other, with different expressions, like a group image of different girls. Fifty-two represents the bodhisattva's rank from the beginning of practice to the end of becoming a Buddha, that is, ten faiths, ten residences, ten lines, ten directions, ten places, equal senses and wonderful senses. In the cave, there are 15, small Buddha statues neatly carved on the north and south walls, each of which is only four centimeters high. There are six geisha musicians carved on the base of the north and south walls, and the maiko dances in the melodious music, with a light and graceful posture. The whole cave is resplendent and magnificent, showing people the ideal land of the western paradise, and setting off a warm and cheerful atmosphere of becoming a Buddha. There is also a bodhisattva statue on the south side of the cave, which is a beautiful example of many bodhisattva statues in the Tang Dynasty in Longmen Grottoes. Bodhisattva is 85 cm high, with its head tilted to the right and its body in an "S"-shaped curve. The whole posture is very graceful and dignified. Mei Lanfang, a famous drama master in China, was attracted and greatly appreciated by her beautiful image when she visited Longmen in her early years. After artistic processing, she successfully applied it to his performances. Lotus Cave Lotus Cave is named after a large lotus with high relief carved on the top of the cave, which was dug in the Northern Wei Dynasty. Lotus is a famous thing symbolized by Buddhism, which means to emerge from the mud without being stained. Therefore, the Buddhist grottoes are decorated with lotus flowers at most, but such a large and exquisite high-relief lotus flower as the top of the lotus cave is rare in Longmen Grottoes. Flying around the lotus is light, with a slender waist and a long skirt. A Buddha, two disciples and two bodhisattvas are built on the main wall of the cave. The main statue is a statue of Sakyamuni, with a robe and a simple and crisp pleat. This is the lobbying image of Sakyamuni, that is, the image of Sakyamuni when he went out to give a lecture. The second disciple is a bas-relief, and the left disciple Jia Ye has deep eyes and a high nose, and his chest is awkward. He holds a xizhang and looks like an ascetic monk in the western regions. Unfortunately, his head was stolen in his early years and is now in the French Ji Mei Museum. The smallest Buddha statue in Longmen Grottoes is only 2 cm high. These Hanazono Sakura Buddhas, which are not full of inches, are located above the south wall of Lianhua Cave, vivid, detailed and lifelike. Fengxian Temple Fengxian Temple is the largest and most exquisite group of cliff carvings in Longmen Grottoes. It is commonly known as "Fengxian Temple" because it belongs to Fengxian Temple, the royal temple at that time. This cave was built in the early days of Tang Gaozong. Empress Wu Zetian sponsored 2, yuan in powder for three years (A.D. 672), and it was completed in the second year of Shang Yuan (A.D. 675), with a length of more than 3 meters each. The Buddha statues in the cave clearly reflected the artistic characteristics of the Buddha statues in the Tang Dynasty, with a plump face and drooping ears, and a perfect, peaceful, warm and kind shape, which was extremely touching. The inscription on the north side of the main Buddha Lotus is called "the statue niche of the Great Lushena". There are nine statues here, and the main Buddha in the middle is Lushena Buddha, which is the Buddha of Sakyamuni. According to the Buddhist scriptures, Lushena means that the light shines all over. The Buddha statue is 17.14 meters high, 4 meters high in the head and 1.9 meters long in the ears. The face of the Buddha statue is plump and round, with wavy hair lines on the top of the head, and his eyebrows are bent like a crescent moon, with a pair of beautiful eyes attached and staring at the bottom slightly. A straight nose, a small mouth and a peaceful smile. The ears are long and slightly drooping, and the chin is round and slightly protruding forward. Round and harmonious, peaceful and comfortable, dressed in shoulder-length cassock, simple and unpretentious clothing patterns, concentric circles of clothing patterns, the head is unusually bright and holy. The whole Buddha statue, like a wise and kind middle-aged woman, makes people respect and fear. Some people have commented that in shaping this Buddha statue, noble sentiment, rich feelings, open mind and elegant appearance are perfectly combined, so she has great artistic charm. Jia Ye, a veteran disciple, Ananda, a docile and intelligent little disciple, a reserved and elegant Bodhisattva, a mighty king of valor, and an aggressive Luxor, together with the main Buddha Lushena, constitute a group of artistic group images with a very modal texture. There are many small rectangular niches behind the Nine-legged Statue of Fengxian Temple. It was in the Song and Jin Dynasties that people built wooden eaves-style buildings in order to protect the niches. These buildings affected the ventilation of the Buddha statue and accelerated its weathering, so they were later demolished. The large-scale art group sculpture of Fengxian Temple stands at the peak of China stone carving art with its grand scale and exquisite carving, which has become a model of China stone carving art and a symbol of this great era of Tang Dynasty. Guyangdong Guyangdong is located in the southern section of Longmen Mountain. It was dug in 493 AD, which is the earliest among the statues of Longmen Grottoes.