The grottoes reflect the Buddha's light, and the Yi River shines through a thousand years—The time-carved Longmen Grottoes

The Yi River flows gently, with Xiangshan and Longmenshan Mountains facing each other across the river. A "Stone Buddha Museum" carved into the cliff quietly stands here—this is the Longmen Grottoes. As one of China's four great grottoes, it was built over more than 400 years from the Northern Wei to the Northern Song dynasties. With 2,345 caves, over 100,000 statues, and more than 2,800 inscriptions carved into the cliff walls, it engraves a millennia-spanning epic of faith and art, hailed as "the pinnacle of Chinese stone carving art." Entering the scenic area, the solemn figure of the Vairocana Buddha first fills the view. This main Buddha, standing 17.14 meters tall, is a masterpiece from the Wu Zetian period. His face is full and plump, eyebrows like crescent moons, eyes slightly lowered, and the corners of his mouth hold a gentle, faint smile, as if he can perceive all things in the world. When sunlight slants across, the folds of his robe ripple like waves, and the fine carving details are clearly visible. His expression, combining majesty and compassion, allows every visitor to feel a spiritual shock that transcends time and space. Legend has it that the Buddha’s face was sculpted based on Wu Zetian’s appearance, cleverly blending imperial and divine authority, becoming the most vivid epitome of the grandeur of the High Tang era. Walking along the cliffside plank road, the exquisite craftsmanship of the Ten Thousand Buddha Cave is awe-inspiring. On the cave walls, over 15,000 small Buddhas are densely arranged, the smallest only 2 centimeters tall, each with a unique expression—some sitting, some standing, some smiling, some silent—like a miniature Buddhist world. The carvings of celestial musicians at the cave entrance are especially lively, with graceful postures holding instruments, robes fluttering as if about to fly, freezing Tang dynasty music and dance art in stone. The Binyang Three Caves bear the Northern Wei style of sculpture, with slender Buddha faces and intricate robe patterns like "silkworms spinning silk," fully displaying the spirit of the Wei and Jin dynasties. Among them, the "Emperor and Empress Worshiping Buddha" relief in the middle Binyang Cave originally vividly depicted the grand scene of the Northern Wei royal family worshiping Buddha. Unfortunately, it was damaged by looting during the Republic of China period, and now only traces remain, adding a sense of historical vicissitude. The Guyang Cave, as the earliest cave excavated in the Longmen Grottoes, is filled with numerous inscriptions on its walls. Nineteen of the "Twenty Longmen Calligraphy Styles" come from here. The ancient and vigorous script is a precious example of Wei stele calligraphy, known as an "open-air museum of calligraphy art." By the Yi River, Xiangshan Temple and Baiyuan quietly accompany each other. Bai Juyi once built a hut here and wrote the praise, "Among the four suburbs of Luoyang, the scenery of mountains and waters, Longmen is foremost." Today, among the green bamboo and cypress in Baiyuan, the poet’s tomb silently stands, harmonizing with the Buddha’s light of the grottoes. At sunset, the evening glow spreads over the cliff walls, bathing the statues in golden light. The shimmering Yi River reflects the contours of the millennia-old carvings. Time seems to stand still at this moment, with only the weight of history and the brilliance of art lingering long between the mountains and waters. From the elegance of the Northern Wei to the grandeur of the High Tang, the Longmen Grottoes are not only a carrier of religious faith but also a chapter of ancient Chinese art history carved in stone. Every chisel stroke embodies the devotion and wisdom of the ancients; every statue tells a civilization story spanning a thousand years, waiting for every visitor to touch the warmth of history amid the mountains, waters, and Buddha’s light.