A Nanny-Level Travel Guide to Longmen Grottoes!!!

👍🏻Recommended reasons: The Longmen Grottoes are super worth visiting!🌟 They are the world's largest and most abundant treasure trove of stone carving art. Constructed over 1,400 years, starting from the Northern Wei Dynasty and spanning more than ten dynasties before nearing completion, they boast a profound historical and cultural heritage. The Lushena Buddha, sculpted in the image of Wu Zetian, is known as the "Oriental Mona Lisa." Its beauty is beyond imagination and will definitely feast your eyes, allowing you to experience the stunning charm of ancient art!🤩 🗺Attraction Introduction: 📍Longmen Grottoes are one of the four major grottoes in China, with over 2,300 caves and nearly 110,000 statues. Northern Wei Dynasty caves account for about 30%, while Tang Dynasty caves account for 60%, mainly concentrated in the West Hill Grottoes. The East Hill Grottoes are primarily from the Tang Dynasty. This is also the birthplace of the legend of the "carp jumping over the dragon gate"🐉. Moreover, the Guyang Cave is the earliest cave in the Longmen Grottoes, carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty over 1,500 years ago. The Binyang Three Caves were built by Emperor Xuanwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty for his parents. The main statue, "The Present Buddha" Sakyamuni, is 8.4 meters high. Each cave has its unique historical and artistic value. 🚗Transportation: ✈Approximately 25 km from Luoyang Beijiao Airport, about a 30-minute drive. 🚉If traveling by train, it's 19 km from Luoyang Railway Station. Bus No. 81 goes directly to the grottoes, and there's also a special Longmen Grottoes train. It's even closer to Longmen High-Speed Railway Station, about 5 km, and a taxi ride costs around CNY 10. 🚇Take subway line 2, exit from Bali Tang Station Exit A/D, and transfer to bus No. 60/99/81/53 to Longmen Grottoes Bus Station. 🗺Tour Route: The scenic area offers a one-way route, so no backtracking is needed. For the West Hill Grottoes, start from the West Hill North Gate entrance and pass by Yuwang Pond, Qianxi Temple, Binyang Three Caves, Wanfo Cave, Lotus Cave, Fengxian Temple, and Guyang Cave in order. For the East Hill Grottoes, start from West Hill, cross Manshui Bridge and the Buddhist worship platform, then go to Xiangshan Temple, and finally to Bai Juyi Garden. A complete route can also start from the Dashimen entrance, go to the Northwest Service Area, then begin the West Hill Grottoes tour, followed by the East Hill Grottoes area, the Viewing Platform, Xiangshan Temple, Longmen Bridge, Bai Garden, and finally return to the Northwest Service Area and exit🚶. 🍱Food Recommendations: When in Luoyang, you must try the local specialties😋. Luoyang Water Banquet, a full course of 24 dishes, features a clever combination of hot and cold, meat and vegetables, sweet and savory, sour and spicy flavors, each with a unique taste. There's also Bufan Tang, a sour and spicy soup that's great for sobering up and whetting the appetite, a folk snack with local characteristics. Also, don't miss the mutton soup, with its delicious broth and tender mutton, both warming and tasty. 💰Expenses: 🎫Tickets are CNY 90/person for adults and CNY 45/person for students and teachers. The scenic shuttle bus costs CNY 10/ride/person. Audio guide rental is CNY 20/unit, and returns can be made at both visitor centers. 📌Other tips: Currently, there are no night tours at Longmen Grottoes, but if you want to see the lights, you can view them from the opposite bank of the river around 6 pm. There's a fee for ringing the bell at Xiangshan Temple, CNY 100 for 3 rings. It seems the price has increased; it used to be only CNY 20. It's recommended to visit in the morning, as the sunlight on the West Hill Grottoes makes the statues look lifelike. If you want a night view, it's better to enter the park around 3 or 4 pm to see the lights turn on. Be sure to wear comfortable sneakers👟, as you'll likely be walking over 10,000 steps. If you're interested in history and want to learn more about Buddhist culture and the stories behind the Buddha statues, you can share a tour guide with a few other people.