Introduction to Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang

On the south side of the central cave in Binyang, a monument is carved on the cliff, that is, the famous monument of Chu Suiliang, that is, the monument of Yi Que Buddha's niche, which records the statue of Wang Wei Terrace, the fourth son of Emperor Taizong, as his dead mother stone (Zhenguan 15, that is, AD 64 1 year). This inscription has been seriously corroded, and it is difficult to distinguish its words.

The cave shaped like an object was originally dug in the Northern Wei Dynasty, but it stopped because of civil strife in the imperial court. So give up halfway. This cave is a transitional cave from the Northern Wei Dynasty to the early Tang Dynasty. This cave is 9 meters high, 8 meters wide and 9 meters deep. The main statue is Amitabha, which prevailed in the Tang Dynasty. He is more than 8 meters tall, with a slightly longer face, thick lips, horizontal stripes on his neck and a bulging chest. Two disciples stood on both sides of the wooden statue, and the Diye statue on the left was carved very realistically. He is wrinkled, else, serious and sophisticated. The bodhisattva, whose disciples stood outside, wore thick shawls and garlands, with simple and elegant shapes and the style of Northern Wei Dynasty. On the four walls of the cave, there are more than 150 niches, among which there are many niches in Sui Daye and Tang Zhenguan. The artistic style embodied in Binyang South Cave inherits the grandeur of the Northern Wei Dynasty and the excitement of the Tang Dynasty.

Binyang North Cave was built in the early Tang Dynasty. The main statue in the cave is Amitabha, nearly 10 meter high, sitting in a daze, with both hands pointing to heaven and earth equally. It is called "Giving Fearless Seal", that is, I am the only one between heaven and earth. It was the Buddha Sakyamuni who stood on the lotus after he was born, pointed to the sky and said, "I am the only one in the world." The left and right sides of the north and south relief two kings. Its modelling is mighty and powerful.

(Go to Wanfo Cave)

When we leave the third hole in Binyang and climb the stairs, we can see the Wanfo Cave. The shape of the Wanfo Cave is square, with a flat top and a lotus algae well carved on the top. Around the lotus algae well, there are characters printed in regular script: "It was built on November 30, the first year of Yongle in Tang Dynasty (AD 680), with 15,000 Buddhist shrines, including Yao Shenbiao, Master Yunchan of Neidaochang." On the north side of the entrance corridor, there is an inscription that says "Shamanism is wise, and the statue of Empress Dowager Fengtian is 15,000". These two inscriptions complement each other and explain why people make wishes and statues at the end of the day. Yonglong is the title of Emperor Li Zhi. Eunuchs are female officials in the palace. Shaman Zhiyun and Inner Dojo waybill master refer to the number of wisdom clouds of Bhikuni. Because the cave was built on the orders of Zhiyun, it is also called "Zhiyun Cave". The emperor refers to Tang Gaozong, and the queen refers to Wu Zetian. Because the cave spoon is engraved with 15000 Buddha statues, it is also called "Ten Thousand Buddha Cave".

The cave owner, named Amitabha, is round and light. He sat on a sumeru, wearing a lotus belt, with one hand pressing his chest close to his body and the other caressing his knees. This gesture means that Amitabha is talking to his disciples, so it is called "talking seal". There are four bare-chested, muscular and energetic Lux support rooms carved in the middle of the lotus seat. There are 54 lotus flowers carved on the cliff above the Buddha's backlight, and a bodhisattva sits on each branch, which is lifelike, changeable, unique and original. In addition, geisha musicians are engraved on the north and south walls. Musicians and maiko. Musicians hold instruments such as Qin, bamboo, drum, stem flow, flute and waist drum, which is the "Sitting Cloth" band in the court of the Tang Dynasty. Dancers play, play or fiddle with the strings as if to produce a beautiful melody. It is a wonderful thing that craftsmen can paint the dance and music scenes in the court of the Tang Dynasty vividly.

There are two stone lions outside the original cave, namely the fine relief of Longmen in Tang Dynasty, which was stolen in 1930s. It is now in the Boston Art Museum and the Nawilson Art Museum in Kansas City.

(In Lotus Cave)

Why is it finally called "Lotus Cave"? Let me explain to you: Lotus Cave is another large Northern Wei grottoes after Binyang Middle Cave. It is named after a Da Lian algae well pattern carved on the ceiling and flying around. Lotus is a famous Buddhist symbol, which means to emerge from the mud without being defiled. Therefore, the caissons at the top of Buddhist grottoes are mostly decorated with lotus flowers, but such a large lotus flower is so beautifully carved that it is rare in Longmen Grottoes. This cave was dug in the Xiaochang period of the Northern Wei Dynasty, that is, around 526-528 AD, belonging to the late Northern Wei Dynasty. This cave is 6.10m high, 6.15m deep, and the main Buddha is 6m high. On both sides are two disciples, Gaya and Ananda, standing between Buddha and Bodhisattva. On its left, Jia Ye, wearing a heavy cassock, shows the image of an ascetic trekking and travel-stained. He holds Zhang Xi in his right hand, which is unique in Longmen Grottoes. Above the north and south walls of Lotus Cave, there are reliefs of Hanazono Sakura Buddha, which are similar to the ten-faced Buddha referred to by "Hokkekyo", and each face is only about 2 cm high. They are the smallest carved Buddha statues in Longmen Grottoes. Carving such a small Buddha statue on a hard stone wall, and carving it so carefully, is really a unique skill in Longmen. Above the north side of the cave, there is a stone tablet engraved with the word "Yi Que", which was originally carved by Dalagni in the Tang Dynasty and later by the Governor of Henan Province in the Ming Dynasty, indicating the original name of Longmen. (To Fengxian Temple)

After climbing dozens of steps, we arrived at Fengxian Temple. The largest Buddha statue in Longmen Grottoes is located in this temple, which was immediately dedicated to ancestors. Fengxian Temple is the largest, most exquisite, magnificent and most representative grottoes in Longmen Grottoes.

Fengxian Temple is about 40 meters deep from east to west and 36 meters wide from north to south. It is recorded in the Notes on the Statue of Da Rushena on the left side of Rushena Buddha (Dai Buddha) that the building of the Great Emperor Tang Gaozong is also illuminated. The Buddha is 85 feet tall, the two Bodhisattvas are 70 feet high, and Kaye, Ananda and King Kong are 50 feet high. According to relevant information and experts' speculation, Fengxian Temple was built in Wei Yong for six years, that is, after 655 AD. It was completed in the second year of Shang Yuan, that is, 675 AD1February 30th, and it took about 2 1 year.

Please look at the layout of Fengxian Temple: one Buddha, two disciples, two bodhisattvas, two heavenly kings, two mighty powers and two shelters. Buddhism believes that the Buddha has three bodies: the dharma body is the original body of the Buddha; Self-declaration is the Buddha's "Buddha fruit" body obtained through long-term practice; The body should be the body that the Buddha appeared for "crossing all beings". Lushe, that is the so-called Buddha, which translates as "pure shame". The main statue is Zhao Xi sitting in the middle. The total height of the statue is 17. 14 meters, of which the head height is 4 meters and the ear height is10.9 meters. It is the largest Buddha statue in Longmen Grottoes. His face is plump and elegant, his eyebrows are crescent-shaped, his eyes are affectionate, his smile is slightly exposed and his kindness overflows. Her wise eyes, looking down slightly, just meet the eyes of the worshippers, which can cause people's emotional tremor. This shows the designer's ingenuity and artistic charm. Two disciples standing on both sides, Kaya Ye, an old man, has a rigorous and prudent image, while An An, a young man, has a plump and round image with fine eyes. Each bodhisattva wears a crown, a garland, silk on his shoulders and a long skirt, which makes him appear to be out of the water. This statue shop depicts a solemn, beautiful and moving style. The overall layout of Fengxian Temple makes people feel like the scene of the emperor calling for officials.

Generally speaking, in the teachings of Buddhism, both Buddha and Bodhisattva are male, but the main Buddha of Fengxian Temple in Longmen is female. This is because of the political needs of Wu Zetian in the Tang Dynasty, for the first time, she created a unique image as a middle-aged woman-Lushenafo. Legend has it that Wu Zetian combines the above virtues, which is almost exactly the same as the image of Rushenafo. It can be seen that the image of Rushna is a true portrayal of the image of Wu Zetian to a certain extent.

From an artistic point of view, the statue layout of Fengxian Temple is harmonious. The five characteristics of the giant Buddha statue are portrayed in proportion, which is a brilliant achievement of exquisite craftsmanship and has indelible artistic charm. It is a summary of the religious art in the Tang Dynasty and one of the models in the history of sculpture in China.

(In Guyangdong)

Guyang Cave was dug in the sixteenth year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty and moved to Luoyang in 493 AD. More than 90% of the carvings in the cave were made by the Northern Wei Dynasty, which is the earliest and richest cave in Longmen Grottoes. The plane of the whole hole is horseshoe-shaped, and the top is like a dome. Because this cave is the most concentrated cave for the royal family and nobles in the Northern Wei Dynasty. From this, we can also see the atmosphere of worshipping Buddha by the royal family in the Northern Wei Dynasty. The two walls in the cave are carved into three rows of shrines in an orderly manner. These small niches are exquisite and gorgeous, exquisitely decorated and colorful, which can be called masterpieces of sculpture, painting, calligraphy, architecture and pattern plastic arts in the Northern Wei Dynasty in Longmen Grottoes.

Guyangdong statue, in terms of its style and characteristics, represents some changes after moving the capital to Luoyang in the late Northern Wei Dynasty. From the rough, vigorous and solid in the early Northern Wei Dynasty to the exquisite and beautiful, it began to get rid of the early style. The depiction of facial expressions has also changed from severe to gentle, giving people a cordial feeling.

It is worth mentioning that the cave walls and ceilings of Guyang Cave are covered with statues of Buddhist niches, and most of these statues have statues inscriptions, which record the names, years and months of sculptors at that time and the reasons for their early statues. These are the most precious materials for studying calligraphy and sculpture in the Northern Wei Dynasty. There are 19 famous "Longmen Twenty Products" in stone carving art in Guyangdong. "Longmen 20 Pin" represents the style of Wei Bei, which is regular and generous, vigorous and powerful, and its writing style is between official script and regular script. It is a mature and unique font in the transition from official script to regular script. Twenty products in Longmen Grottoes can be said to be the essence of inscription calligraphy art in Longmen Grottoes, so it has been praised by calligraphers for thousands of years.

Due to the time, the explanation of the main caves in Longmen Grottoes (Xishan) ends here. Now I'll leave you some time to take pictures. After a while, we will drive across the Longmen Bridge, cross the Yi River and go to the other side of the river to see the panoramic view of Longmen Xishan. Thank you!

Luoyang is known as "the ancient capital of nine dynasties", but in fact thirteen dynasties built their capitals here. Luoyang, as the capital, lasted 1500 years. It is the oldest of the seven ancient capitals in China, with the earliest capital, the most dynasties and the longest history.

Longmen, 0/3 km away from the urban area/kloc-0, is the natural gateway to the south of Luoyang. The Xiangshan Mountain and Longmen Mountain on both sides of the river are opposite, and the Yi River flows, which looks like a natural gateway from a distance. Therefore, since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there has been a visual title "One Que". Luoyang, the capital of Yang Di, Emperor of Sui Dynasty, was named "Longmen" because the gate of Miyagi was opposite to Yi Que. Ancient emperors claimed to be the real dragon emperor. The name "Longmen" has continued to this day. The world-famous Longmen Grottoes are dug on the cliffs on both sides of the Yi River, with a length of about 1km from north to south. Since Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty moved to Luoyang, it has been excavated on a large scale for about 400 years after the Eastern Wei Dynasty, the Western Wei Dynasty, the Northern Qi Dynasty, the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty. There are 2345 grottoes, more than 2800 inscriptions, more than 70 pagodas and nearly 1 100000 statues. Its grottoes, statues and inscriptions rank first in China, and it is also known as the three treasures of Buddhist art in China, together with Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes and Datong Yungang Grottoes. 196 1 year, the State Council, People's Republic of China (PRC) identified Longmen Grottoes as the first batch of key cultural relics protection units in China. In June 2000, 165438+ 10, the 24th World Heritage Committee of UNESCO approved its inclusion in the World Heritage List.

Longmen Grottoes is a religious art in which the feudal regime in ancient China was above Buddhism. Due to the participation of the royal family in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the important characteristics of the royal style of Longmen Grottoes were formed. The rise and fall of many caves or statues are closely related to the changes in the political situation at that time.

"Longmen Mountain Color" has been the first of the eight scenic spots in Luoyang since ancient times. Since the Northern Wei Dynasty, there have been many pines and cypresses and many temples here. Ten halls are the most famous in the Tang Dynasty. At the foot of the mountain, the spring gurgled and the water rippled. In the Tang Dynasty, ships shuttled among them. Exquisite statues and green mountains and waters complement each other, forming a beautiful lush. The beautiful colors of Longmen Mountain in Zhong Ling. A scenic spot. In the ancient history of China, there were many literati, emperors and generals, and eminent monks and great virtues wandering here, reciting poems and writing poems. Bai Juyi, a great poet in the Tang Dynasty, "The scenery in the suburbs of Luodu wins, and Longmen is the first;" The famous saying "Ten temples in Longmen win the tour, and Xiangshan ranks first" is particularly fresh today.

Qianxisi

Friends, next, we are going to visit Qianxi Temple, the largest cave at the northern end of Xishan Mountain in Longmen Grottoes. Millennium Temple was built in the early years of Tang Gaozong. The statues in the cave are a Buddha, two disciples, two bodhisattvas and two heavenly kings. The main statue of Amitabha sits in the middle, all parts of the body are well-proportioned, the face is full, the chest is high, and the expression is quiet and kind. On both sides of Guanyin, the general trend is in moderate proportion to the bodhisattva's body, plump and honest, and Wen Ya is quiet and full of human feelings, revealing the great development of sculpture art in the early Tang Dynasty. Amitabha Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva, collectively known as the "Three Saints of the West", are idols worshipped by Pure Land Sect. The Sui and Tang Dynasties was another prosperous period for the development of Buddhism in China. Under the situation of Buddhist style of study "North-South break, Zen and righteousness flourish", Buddhism in North and South constantly communicate and influence each other, and complete the generalization and summary of various Buddhist theories in the past, thus making the trend of Buddhism in China more obvious and the Buddhist sculpture art full of freshness and vitality. Therefore, the sculpture art has changed from the Northern Wei Dynasty. The sculpture of Qianxi Temple opened the prelude to the rich and elegant sculpture style in the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

Binyang Middle Cave

After Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty moved to Luoyang, he carried out a significant and thorough sinicization reform, which was called "Emperor Xiaowen's reform" in history. The political reform carried out by the supreme ruler will inevitably have a certain impact on the Buddhist grottoes carved by the royal nobles at that time. The sculpture style and costumes of Binyang Middle Cave that we are going to visit below are the cultural reflection of Emperor Xiaowen's restructuring.

Friends, the three caves in front of us are collectively called Binyang Three Caves. The three caves in Binyang are named after unified planning, planned excavation and side-by-side layout. These three caves were dug in 500 A.D. and stopped in 523, which took 24 years to complete. Historical records record more than 800,000 workers. In the middle is the Binyang Middle Cave, which was dug by Xuan Wudi in the Northern Wei Dynasty to pray for his parents Emperor Xiaowen and Empress Zhao Wen. There are three Buddha statues on three walls in the cave. From south to here are the burning Buddha of the past, Sakyamuni of the present and Maitreya of the future.

The roof of Binyang Middle Cave is dome-shaped, like the top of a yurt. Large lotus flowers are carved on the ground, surrounded by decorative patterns such as lotus petals and water ripples, just like a beautiful carpet. This form naturally reminds people of the life of nomadic people in the north.

The main Buddha, Sakyamuni, seeks for * *, and his carving technique is different from the rough and honest style inherent in Xianbei Extension Department of Northern Wei Dynasty. Instead, it absorbed the elements of Han culture in the Central Plains and the fashion of "thin and handsome" popular in the Southern Dynasties at that time, and formed the artistic form of Buddhist sculpture "showing bones and clearing images" after moving the capital to Luoyang. The main Buddha has a slender figure, a thin face, sparse eyes, upturned corners of the mouth, gentle expression and elegant demeanor. The double-necked cassock and the right-shouldered cassock in Yungang Grottoes have been removed from their costumes and changed into the form of praise belts in the Central Plains. The lower part of the dress was carved into a gut pattern, dragged in front of the base and folded layer by layer. This carving style quickly swept the country, and became the China and nationalization feature of Buddhist art in the Northern Wei Dynasty.

This carving technique is much closer to the characters in real life, and it is the embodiment of Emperor Xiaowen's reorganization in Longmen Grottoes.

There is a large relief on both sides of the front wall of the middle cave, with portraits of Emperor Xiaowen and his attendants in the north and Zhao Wen and his concubines in the south. These two works, exquisite, were stolen and chiseled in the 1930s, and are now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Nelson Museum of Art in Kansas.

1978, when people demolished the brick gate built in Binyang Middle Cave in Qing Dynasty, the little-known statue of the King of the Northern Wei Dynasty appeared in front of people. Look, my friends, what was found on the two walls of the corridor at that time was the three-headed and four-armed sculpture of King Indra with four heads and four arms.

The Central Cave in Binyang was completed in the middle of the 6th century, which showed the superb level of China grottoes art development at that time.

Lee Tae and Binyang South Cave —— A Que Buddhist Temple Monument

Dear friends, the great monument we are seeing now is called "The Monument to the Buddhist Shrine in Yique", which was written by Cen Wenben, Assistant Minister of Calligraphy in China, Emperor Taizong, and Chu Suiliang, Central Commander and Great Calligrapher. This monument is the largest regular script of Chu Suiliang seen in China at present, and it is a treasure of regular script art in Tang Dynasty. The inscription mainly describes the achievements of Emperor Taizong's fourth son, King Tai, after the death of his mother, Empress Wende? /ca & gt；