Longmen Grottoes guide words? Hello everyone, Confucius said that it is a great pleasure to have friends come from far away. Today, it is with this mood that I welcome all my friends. ?Luoyang is a famous historical city famous both at home and abroad. It has a long history, splendid culture and numerous cultural relics. In order to enable all guests to have a better understanding of the history, culture and monuments of this ancient city during their stay in Luoyang, I will give you a brief introduction to the history of Luoyang and the general situation of the Longmen Grottoes on the way to visit the scenic spots. . Luoyang is located in the west of Henan Province and on the south bank of the middle reaches of the Yellow River. It was named because it is located on the north bank of Luo River, which means the sun of Luo River. ?Luoyang has been the capital city of many dynasties in history, and is known as the "ancient capital of nine dynasties". In this long history of more than a thousand years, Luoyang has been the political, cultural and economic center of China for a long time. Today, the world-famous Longmen Grottoes we visited is one of the many cultural relics and historic sites. ?The Longmen Grottoes are located at the Longmen Pass in the southern suburbs of Luoyang City, 12.5 kilometers away from the urban area. They were excavated in the 19th year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty and have a history of more than 1,500 years. Together with the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang and the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, ** *Together they form the three famous grotto art treasure houses in my country. ?Longmen was called "Yique" during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Xiangshan (East Mountain) and Longmen Mountain (Western Mountain) faced each other from east to west, and the Yishui River flowed through it, forming a magnificent gate. Later, it was also called Longmen because it was located in the south of the Sui and Tang Empires. ?The so-called "grotto" refers to a hole dug on a stone wall or a naturally formed stone cave, used for hiding or storing food and things. As early as primitive society, people have used natural stone caves to depict animal images and life scenes. However, the phenomenon of cave temples as a place for Buddhist believers and monks to worship Buddha and practice appeared only after the rise of Buddhism in ancient India. ?Due to the tranquility and mystery of the mountains and forests, and the warmth of the grottoes in the winter and coolness in the summer, it is more convenient and durable to carve grottoes on the mountains than temples built with bricks and stones. Therefore, the grotto temples that combine architecture, painting, and carving arts appeared in ancient India. This kind of cave temple art was introduced to my country's frontiers and inland with the missionary activities of monks. It merged with my country's national characteristics and traditional artistic techniques and styles, and became a unique carving and painting technology in my country. The Longmen Grottoes we are going to see today is one of the treasures among the many temples in my country. ?For the carvings of the Longmen Grottoes, in addition to the favorable conditions mentioned above, there is also a natural condition that cannot be ignored. The cliffs on both sides of the Yishui River belong to the Cambrian and Ordovician limestone layers of the Paleozoic Era. Its stone is hard and compact in structure, and is not suitable for weathering or large-scale cracking. It is very suitable for artistic sculptures. Compared with other sandstones, it has favorable conditions for preservation. ?The Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang are another large-scale cave temple complex excavated by the royal family after the Dunhuang Grottoes in Gansu and the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, Shanxi. They were built during the Taihe period of the Northern Wei Dynasty and went through the Eastern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, Sui and Tang Dynasties. The Five Dynasties extended to the Qing Dynasty. More than 400 years ago. Among them, large-scale and efficient construction lasted for about 150 years, and occurred in the Northern Wei Dynasty (more than 40 years) and the Sui and Tang Dynasties (about 110 years). The large and small Buddhist niches and stone statues in the Longmen Grottoes are dotted along both sides of the Yishui River on the cliffs of the east and west mountains of Longmen, with a length of 1 kilometer from north to south. ?Dear friends, we will spend about 1.5-2 hours visiting Longmen Grottoes. Here, we can see more than 1,000 large and small Buddha statues every minute. According to statistics from the Longmen Cultural Relics Preservation Institute in 1962, there are more than 2,100 caves and niches in the two mountains. There are more than 100,000 large and small statues, more than 40 pagodas, and more than 2,870 inscriptions on the statues. The statues are mainly from the Northern Wei Dynasty (Eastern Wei Dynasty, Northern Qi Dynasty), Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty. The Northern Wei Dynasty accounted for about 30%, and the Sui and Tang Dynasties accounted for about 60%. The largest statue in Longmen Grottoes is the Lucena Buddha in Fengxian Temple. Most of the Longmen Grottoes are concentrated on the cliffs on the west bank of Yishui River, including 7 large caves. Because the rock formations in the east mountains of Longmen are thinner than those in the west mountains, it is inconvenient to carve large statues. Among the Longmen Grottoes, the representative caves from the Northern Wei Dynasty are Guyang Cave, Binyang Middle Cave, Lotus Cave, etc. The representative work of the Sui Dynasty is Binyang South Cave. The representative caves of the Tang Dynasty include Qianxi Temple, Binyang North Cave, Wanfo Cave, Fengxian Temple, etc. ?The statues of Longmen Grottoes are not only the crystallization of the infinite wisdom and blood and sweat of the working people and artists of past generations, but also a wonderful combination of foreign culture and Chinese culture. These master carvers were tasked with creating statues of gods, Buddhas and emperors, but they boldly broke through the "ritual" constraints of religion and etiquette. A large amount of real life was incorporated into the carving process, vividly showing the moving scenes of various figures.
Such as joy, kindness, majesty, reserve, pain, as well as the solemnity and solemnity of the Buddha as the supreme and infinite Lord, the piety and tranquility of the servants and donors, are all the artists' profound observation of the real "people" and the use of realism The expression techniques combined with romanticism are the result of highly summarized and concentrated works. It can be said that the Buddha and people are represented vividly and lifelike in the art of sculpture. The completeness of the conception and layout, the concentration of momentum, the solidity and power of the whole, the variety of character changes, the vividness of facial expressions, the smooth and graceful lines of clothing lines, etc., are all based on thousands of years of artistic practice tradition and are heavily borrowed from. Foreign culture is the result of careful creation, massive innovations, breakthroughs in tradition, and deliberate management of techniques and styles. Talented ancient craftsmen and sculpture design artists faced the bare cliffs and used simple hammers and chisels to carve out such majestic, spectacular and meticulous group Buddha statues. Under the conditions of very backward productivity and production tools at that time, It's truly amazing. ?The Longmen Grottoes are like a colorful and all-encompassing museum, providing extremely precious information for the study of my country's history, religion, culture, art, medicine, etc. ?Okay, friends, we have arrived at the Longmen Grottoes. Now please get off the car and follow me to visit the grottoes. During the visit to the grottoes, I will focus on explaining to you some of the main caves in the Longmen Grottoes. (At Qianxi Temple) This is Qianxi Temple, which is the first large grotto we entered at the northern end of Longmen West Mountain. The Qianxi Temple Cave is more than 9 meters high and wide, and nearly 7 meters deep. It was built in the early Tang Dynasty and has a history of more than 1,300 years. It was named after the stream that continuously flowed out of the ground when the cave was dug. It is said that in the Tang Dynasty, a prime minister named Li Pan once built a villa here. During the Qing Dynasty, wooden cave eaves and other buildings were built outside the cave, so it was also called "Zhaiba (fú) Hall". A large lotus flower is carved into the cave at the top of the cave. The main image in the cave is Amitabha Buddha. The Buddha is 7.38 meters tall, with a plump face, bulging chest, and sloping clothes in front of the seat. All parts of the body are well proportioned. The expression is wise and the whole posture gives people a sense of tranquility and kindness. On both sides are two disciples, two Bodhisattvas, and two heavenly kings. In particular, the Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva on the south wall has a plump and honest appearance and a quiet demeanor. Together with the main Buddha statue, they are the two most beautiful stone sculptures in the Tang Dynasty in Longmen Grottoes. Each of the two front walls of the cave is carved with a Dharma Protector King. He has high cheekbones and big eyes, a majestic body, a powerful body, and is wearing armor. He is the image of a high-ranking general in the Tang Dynasty. The Yaksha stepping on the foot is also very vivid and lifelike. ?(In Binyang Cave)?After we passed Qianxi Temple, there was an open stone niche on the right side of the road. On the main wall was a piece of cursive script written by Chen Xiu of the Song Dynasty, "Opening the sky's shore horse, Qiyi Renzhonglong". Stone plaque. This is written by Chen Chuan, a Taoist priest in the Northern Song Dynasty. Then, Chen Chuan is a god. He was a legendary figure who had a poor official career and was highly appreciated by the emperor for practicing in seclusion. He practiced in Wudang Mountain, Huashan Mountain and other places. We saw the stone plaque, walked dozens of steps south, and entered a quiet courtyard. There are three grottoes sitting side by side from west to east, namely Binyang Three Cave (commonly known as the Middle Cave, North Cave, and South Cave). Represented by Zhongdong, Zhongdong was called Lingyan Temple in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and was renamed Binyang Cave after the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Legend has it that it is based on the last two characters of Lu Dongbin, one of the eight Taoist immortals, and his name (Chunyang). Named after adding. The cave was carved from the first year of Emperor Jingming of the Northern Wei Dynasty, that is, 500 AD, to the fourth year of Zhengguang, that is, in June of 523 AD. It lasted 24 years and required 802,366 workers. We can also understand Binyang Sandong as "Xunwei Binyang Gaiyin Bin Sunrise", which means Chaoyang or Xiangyang. Although Binyang Cave cost so much man-hours and money, all the projects on the three caves are not over yet. In the fourth year of Yanchang, Emperor Xuanwu died in 515 AD. Emperor Xiaoming (Yuanxu), who was only 7 years old, came to the throne, and his political power was actually in the hands of his mother, the Queen Mother Hu. Due to civil strife in the palace, the sculpture work in Binyang actually stopped. Therefore, in the large caves operated by the Northern Wei Dynasty royal family, Binyang San Cave, only one Binyang Middle Cave was actually completed. The north and south caves were completed by the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Binyang Three Cave was carved from three dynasties, so the carved Buddha statues are different in shape and expression. So how to identify it? Please follow me, I will tell you from Binyang Middle Cave first. ?Binyang Middle Cave is a third-generation Buddhist cave. In the Northern Wei Dynasty, due to the great influence of the "Lotus Sutra", in addition to belief in Sakyamuni and Duobao, they also believed in the third Buddha. This is the only example in Longmen Grottoes. Binyang Middle Cave is 9.8 meters high, with a depth and width of 11.10 meters. On the front are five statues, mainly Sakyamuni Buddha.
Sakyamuni is sitting in a Chinese posture (the sitting method of Zen practitioners in Buddhism, that is, with the legs intertwined and the insteps touching the left and right thighs). He is wearing a robe and belted cassock, with a height of 8.4 meters. He has a delicate face, a full expression, and a high nose. Big eyes and a slight smile. The left hand bends three fingers downward and the right hand stretches forward. This gesture indicates the Dharma Seal. In front of the statue, there are two stone lions with their heads held high and their chests high. The chest hair is divided to the left and right and draped backward, which is a characteristic of lion carvings in the Northern Wei Dynasty. On the left and right of Sakyamuni stood two disciples and two Bodhisattvas (Manjushri on the left and Samantabhadra on the right). The two Bodhisattvas are attentive and smiling, gentle and honest, giving people a sense of intimacy. There are also statues on the north and south walls, each of which is a Buddha and two Bodhisattvas, wearing robes and cassocks, standing on a lotus base. On the back seats of the statues in Binyang Cave are carved reliefs of Bodhisattvas and disciples listening to the Dharma. The top of the cave is in the shape of a dragon, with a lotus cover composed of a large double-petaled lotus carved in the center. There are eight musical instruments and two offerings to heavenly beings around the lotus. We call those who support heavenly beings Feitian. Feitian is known as the "Fragrance God" in Buddhist art. He is a beautiful immortal who is good at singing and dancing and is full of fragrance. This is the scene described in the Lotus Sutra: "The music and music of the heavens, hundreds of thousands of gods, all working together in the sky at once, raining down the flowers from the heavens." On the north and south sides of the front wall of the central cave, there are four layers of exquisite reliefs from top to bottom. In the past, tourists could go in and see. Now, in order to protect these precious cultural relics from being damaged, iron railings are added in front of the cave. I hope all my friends can understand. ?On the south side of Binyang Middle Cave, there is a stele engraved on the cliff, which is the famous "Chu Suiliang Stele", also known as "The Stele of Yique Buddhist Niche". It records that Wei Wangtai, the fourth son of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, died for his mother, Empress Wende's eldest son. A dharma vow to make meritorious deeds and create a cave statue (the 15th year of Zhenguan, i.e. 641 AD). This inscription has been severely corroded and its text is difficult to decipher. ?The Binyang Middle Cave was originally carved in the Northern Wei Dynasty, but it was stopped due to civil strife in the palace. So give up halfway. This cave is the transition cave from the Northern Wei Dynasty to the early Tang Dynasty. The cave is 9 meters high, more than 8 meters wide and 9 meters deep. The main image is Amitabha, which was popular in the Tang Dynasty. It is more than 8 meters tall, with a slightly elongated face, thick lips, horizontal lines on the neck and bulging chest. Two disciples stand on both sides of the wooden statue. The statue of Di Ye on the left side is very realistic in carving. His face is wrinkled, his eyes are straight, he is rigorous and he is well versed in the world. The Bodhisattvas standing outside the left and right disciples have thick shawls and necklaces, and are simple and elegant in shape, in the style of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The four walls of the cave are covered with more than 150 Buddhist niches of various sizes, including many from the Daye period of the Sui Dynasty and the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty. The artistic style embodied in Binyang Nandong inherits the vigorous and majestic style of the Northern Wei Dynasty and the liveliness of the Tang Dynasty. ?Binyang North Cave, this cave was completed in the early Tang Dynasty. The main image enshrined in the cave is Amitabha, which is nearly 10 meters high. He sits in the lotus position with his hands evenly divided and pointing to the sky and the earth. It is called "Shi Wuwei Seal", which means that I am the only one in heaven and earth. This is what Buddha Sakyamuni said when he stood on the lotus after he was born, pointing one finger to the sky and the other to the ground, "I am the only one in the sky and the world." There are two heavenly kings in relief in the north and south on the left and right sides. Its shape is majestic and powerful. (Going to Ten Thousand Buddhas Cave) We leave Binyang Third Cave and go up the stairs to see Ten Thousand Buddhas Cave. The shape of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Cave is a square flat top, with a lotus caisson carved on the top. Around the lotus caisson are engraved regular script characters: "It was completed on November 30, the first year of Yonglong in the Tang Dynasty (AD 680). The eunuch Yao Shenbiao said in the inner dojo Zen Master, Fifteen Thousand Buddha niches." On the north side of the passage at the entrance of the cave is the inscription "Sramana Zhiyun, Fengtian Emperor, Queen Mother, Prince, Prince and King built a niche with 15,000 statues." The two inscriptions complement each other and explain why Shimo decided to build the statue. Yonglong is the reign name of Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi. A eunuch is a female official in the palace. The Samana Zhiyun and the inner dojo luck master refer to the number of the bhikshuni Zhiyun. Because the cave was built by Zhiyun, it is also called "Zhiyun Cave". The Emperor refers to Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, and the Queen refers to Wu Zetian. Because there are 15,000 Buddha statues carved in the cave, it is also called the "Ten Thousand Buddhas Cave". The owner of the cave is named Amitabha. He has round light and body light, and sits in lotus position on the Sumeru Seat with a lotus girdle. , one hand is raised diagonally to the chest, and the other hand is touching the knee. This gesture shows that Amitabha is preaching the Dharma to his disciples and believers, so it is called the "Dharma Seal". In the middle of the lotus seat are carved four bare-chested figures with protruding muscles and protruding muscles to support the chamber. There are 54 lotus flowers carved on the cliff above the Buddha's backlight, with a Bodhisattva sitting on each branch. The postures are vivid, varied, unique and original in shape. In addition, there are figures of musicians carved on the north and south walls, divided into musicians and dancers. The musical instruments held by the musicians include zither, Zhu, Ba, Jianxi, flute, western waist drum, etc. This was the "sitting part" band of the Tang Dynasty court. The dancers are blowing, strumming, or plucking the strings, as if they are playing a beautiful melody. Bringing the dance and music scenes in the Tang Dynasty court to life is truly a masterpiece of craftsmanship.
?Besides the two strong men in relief outside the original cave, there are also two stone lions, which are the masterpieces of Longmen relief sculptures in the Tang Dynasty. They were stolen in the 1930s. It is now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Wilson Art Museum, Kansas City, USA. (In Lotus Cave) Why is this place called "Lotus Cave"? Let me explain to you: Lotus Cave is another large-scale Northern Wei Dynasty grotto excavated after Binyang Middle Cave. It is named after the large lotus caisson pattern carved with large flying sky on the top of the cave. The lotus is a famous symbol of Buddhism, which means emerging from the mud and remaining unstained. Therefore, caissons on the ceilings of Buddhist grottoes are often decorated with lotus flowers. However, it is rare to see such a large lotus flower with such exquisite carvings in the Longmen Grottoes. This cave was excavated during the Xiaochang period of the Northern Wei Dynasty, that is, around 526-528 AD, and is a work of the late Northern Wei Dynasty. The cave is 6.10 meters high and 6.15 meters deep. The main statue of Sakyamuni is 6 meters high (standing Buddha). On both sides are the attendant Bodhisattva, and between the Buddha and the Bodhisattva are the two disciples of Kasyapa and Ananda. On the left is Gaye, wearing a heavy cassock, showing the image of an ascetic who travels hard and is dusty. He holds a tin staff in his right hand, which is unique among the Longmen Grottoes statues. On the north and south walls of the Lotus Cave, there are small reliefs of thousands of Buddhas that appear to be the avatars of the ten directions mentioned in the "Lotus Sutra". Each one is only about 2 centimeters in height. They are the smallest Buddha statues carved in Longmen Grottoes. To carve such a small Buddha on a hard stone wall with such fine workmanship is truly unique in Longmen. Above the north side of the cave entrance is a tablet with a concave plane, engraved with two large characters "Yi Que", which were originally carved from the Dharani Sutra in the Tang Dynasty, and were later engraved with the two characters "Yi Que" from the governor of Henan in the Ming Dynasty, indicating the original name of Longmen. . (Go to Fengxian Temple) After climbing dozens of steps, you will reach Fengxian Temple. The largest Buddha statue in Longmen Grottoes is in this temple. Fengxian means enshrining ancestors. Fengxian Temple is the most important cave with the largest sculptures, the most exquisite art, the most majestic momentum, and the most representative among the Longmen Grottoes. ?Fengxian Temple is about 40 meters deep from east to west and 36 meters wide from north to south. The "Dalu Shena Statue" on the left side of Lushena Buddha (clothed Buddha) records: It was built by Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, and the body of Buddha The light is 85 feet high, the two Bodhisattvas are 70 feet high, and Kayapa, Ananda, and King Vajra are each 50 feet high. According to relevant information and expert speculation, the construction time of Fengxian Temple was about the sixth year of Yongwei when Wu Zetian was established as queen, that is, after 655 AD. It was completed in the second year of the Yuan Dynasty, that is, December 30, Yihai, 675 AD, and took about 21 years. ?Please look at the layout of Fengxian Temple: one Buddha, two disciples, two Bodhisattvas, two heavenly kings, two powerful men, and two donors. The Sanskrit name of the main Buddha is "Lushana". According to Buddhism, the Buddha has three bodies: the Dharmakaya is the original body of the Buddha; the Sambhogakaya is the "Buddha fruit" body obtained by the Buddha after long-term practice; the corresponding body is the Buddha's "transcendence to all living beings" "And the body appears. Lu Shena is the so-called Sambhogakaya Buddha, translated as "Jingsha". The main statue is Lu Shezhaoxi sitting in the lotus position in the center. The whole statue is 17.14 meters high, of which the head is 4 meters high and the two ears are 1.9 meters high. It is the largest Buddhist sculpture in Longmen Grottoes. His face is plump and elegant, his eyebrows are like a crescent moon, his eyes are affectionate, his smile is faint, and his kindness is overflowing. Her wise eyes, looking down slightly, coincide with the upward gazes of the worshipers, which can cause people to feel emotional tremors. This shows the designer's ingenuity and artistic charm. The two disciples standing on both sides, the elder Gaye is rigorous and solemn, and the young Ananda is plump and round, with beautiful features. Each standing Bodhisattva wears a crown on his head, a necklace on his body, a pei (pei) silk on his shoulders, and his long skirt has the potential to flow out of water. This shop of statues depicts a dignified, beautiful and moving style. The entire layout of Fengxian Temple makes people feel like the emperor is summoning civil and military officials. ?Generally speaking, in Buddhist teachings, both Buddha and Bodhisattva are male, but the main Buddha in Longmen Fengxian Temple is female. This is due to political needs of Emperor Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty. Create a unique image of middle-aged women. Legend has it that Wu Zetian’s collection of the above-mentioned virtues almost exactly matches the image of the Lucena Buddha. It can be seen that the image of Lu Shena is, to a certain extent, a true portrayal of the image of Wu Zetian. ?From an artistic point of view, the layout of the statues in Fengxian Temple is harmonious and symmetrical. The facial features of the large Buddha statue are proportioned. This brilliant achievement of ingenuity has everlasting artistic charm. It is a summary of the religious art of the Tang Dynasty and one of the great examples in the history of Chinese sculpture. (In Guyang Cave) Guyang Cave was excavated in the 16th year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty, when the capital was moved to Luoyang in 493 AD. More than 90% of the carvings in the cave are from the Northern Wei Dynasty. It is the earliest and richest cave in the Longmen Grottoes. The whole cave is horseshoe-shaped in plane, and the top is like a dome. Because this cave had the largest concentration of statues made by the royal family and nobles of the Northern Wei Dynasty.
This also shows the atmosphere of worshiping Buddhism in the Northern Wei royal family. The two walls of the cave are carved into three rows of Buddhist niches in an orderly manner. These small niches are very exquisite and gorgeous, with delicate and clever decoration on the forehead and rich and colorful patterns. They can be regarded as a masterpiece of sculpture, painting, calligraphy, architecture, and graphic arts of the Northern Wei Dynasty in the Longmen Grottoes. ?The statues in Guyang Cave, in terms of style and characteristics, represent some changes in the late Northern Wei Dynasty after the capital was moved to Luoyang. From the rough, strong and solid style in the early Northern Wei Dynasty to the delicate, beautiful style, it began to get rid of the style of the early period. The facial expressions have also changed from severe to gentler, giving people a sense of intimacy. ?What is worth mentioning here is that the four walls of Guyang Cave and the top of the cave are full of Buddhist niches and statues. Many of these niches have inscriptions on the statues, recording the name, date and reason of the statue maker at that time. These are the most precious materials for studying the calligraphy and sculpture art of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Among the "Twenty Products of Longmen", which is famous in the art of epigraphy and stone inscriptions, nineteen of them are in Guyang Cave. "Twenty Pins of Longmen" represents the Wei stele style. The font is upright and generous, and the momentum is strong and powerful. The writing style is between official script and regular script. It is a relatively mature and unique font in the transition from official script to regular script. "Twenty Products of Longmen" can be said to be the essence of Longmen Grottoes inscription calligraphy art, so it has been praised by calligraphers for thousands of years. ?Due to time constraints, the explanation of the main caves of Longmen Grottoes (Xishan) ends here. Now leave some time for you to take pictures. After a while, we drove across the Longmen Bridge, crossed the Yi River, and went to the other side of the river to see the orchid landscape of Longmen Xishan. Thank you!