Longmen (Dragon Gate) Caves

2. Luoyang, Henan, Longmen Caves

Emperors, generals, rich clans, and devoted Buddhist leaders all took a hand at creating these shrines, for political and social reasons. The carvings cover a history of 500 years. The caves are not deep. Centuries of erosion, flooding, and earthquakes have exposed most of the large figures to the sky, the caves receding into large oval niches.