Ancient Grottoes Inscribed in World Heritage List

China's World Heritage Sites

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The famous Longmen Grottoes was placed on the World Heritage List Thursday, November 30, according to local officials.

The grottoes, 13 kilometers south of Luoyang in central China's Henan Province, was built in 493 A.D. and rebuilt continuously in the following 400 years.

It is considered one of the three most-famous sites of Buddhist grottoes art in China. The other two are located in Dunhuang of Gansu Province and Yungang of Shanxi Province.

The heritage consists of more than 135 grottos, 40 pagodas, 97,000 Buddhist statues and 3,600 stone sculptures.

The government has spent more than 100 million yuan (US$13 million) in protecting and preserving the country's precious heritage.