thumb|Map of Longmen Grottoes
The Longmen Grottoes () or Longmen Caves are some of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art. Housing tens of thousands of statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and his disciples, they are located south of present-day Luoyang in Henan province, China. The images, many once painted, were carved as outside rock reliefs and inside artificial caves excavated from the limestone cliffs of the Xiangshan () and Longmenshan, running east and west. The Yi River flows northward between them and the area used to be called Yique (). The alternative name of "Dragon's Gate Grottoes" derives from the resemblance of the two hills that check the flow of the Yi River to the typical "Chinese gate towers" that once marked the entrance to Luoyang from the south.
There are as many as 100,000 statues within the 2,345 caves, ranging from to in height. The area also contains nearly 2,500 stelae and inscriptions, hence the name "Forest of Ancient Stelae", as well as over sixty Buddhist pagodas. Situated in a scenic natural environment, the caves were dug from a stretch of cliff running along both banks of the river. 30% date from the Northern Wei and 60% from the Tang dynasty, caves from other periods accounting for less than 10% of the total.
In 2000 the site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an outstanding manifestation of human artistic creativity," for its perfection of an art form, and for its encapsulation of the cultural sophistication of Tang China. some of which are only high,
Guyang-dong or the Shiku Temple, credited to Emperor Xiaowen, was the first cave temple to be built at the center of the southern floor of the West Hill. Emperor Xuanwu of Northern Wei followed up this activity and excavated three more caves, two in memory of his father, Emperor Xiaowen, and one in memory of his mother; all three caves are grouped under the title of the "Three Binyang Caves" (Binyangsan-dong), which were built by the emperor over a 24-year period. Over 30% of the caves seen now were built during this period. The Management and Conservation Office was renamed the Longmen Grottoes Research Institute in 1990; and the People's Government of Luoyang City became responsible for the management of the heritage monuments.
Artistic significance
The Longmen Grottoes represent a critical period in the evolution of Chinese Buddhist sculpture. Scholarly analysis of the site's Buddhist imagery, particularly from the Northern Dynasties to the Tang dynasty, has revealed a gradual synthesis of imported Central Asian artistic conventions with indigenous Chinese aesthetic traditions. According to Zhang and Abdullah (2026), the formal characteristics and relief techniques of Buddha figures, bodhisattva images, and flying apsaras at Longmen reflect broader transformations in Chinese aesthetic theory, as Buddhist thought increasingly informed sculptural mechanisms and cultural dynamics of successive periods. The study emphasizes that Longmen's sculptural program illustrates a dynamic interplay between religious symbolism, technical innovation, and localized artistic expression.
Grottoes
There are several major grottoes with notable displays of Buddhist sculptures and calligraphic inscriptions. The Guyang, Binyang, and Lianhua caves are horseshoe-shaped.
Guyangdong
Guyangdong, or Guyang Cave, or Old Sun Cave, is recorded as the oldest Longmen cave with carvings in the Northern Wei style. It is also the largest cave, located in the central part of the west hill. It was carved under the orders of Emperor Xiaowen. The earliest carving in this limestone cave has been now dated at 478 AD, during the period when Emperor Xiaowen is thought to have been moving his capital from Datong to Luoyang. The Buddhist statues in the niches of this cave are very well sculpted. Also found here are 600 inscriptions in fine calligraphy of writings in the Northern Wei style. Of the nine huge carved statues, the highly impressive image of Vairocana Buddha is sculpted on the back wall of the Fengxian. The image is 17.14m high and has 2 m long ears. was built in 680 by Gaozong and Wu Zetian. It houses 15,000 Buddhas carved in small niches, different from each other, with the smallest Buddha being in height. of 140 medical prescriptions for a wide range of medical problems from the common cold to insanity. These are seen carved right at the entrance on both walls. These carvings are dated from the late Northern Wei period to the early Tang dynasty.
;Lianhua-dong
The Lianhua-dong, or the Lotus Flower Cave (), dated to 527, belongs to the Northern Wei period. The Grotto has a large lotus flower carved in high relief on its ceiling. Several small Buddhas are carved into the south wall. Also seen are shrines in the south and north wall in the niches.