Longmen Grottoes: an outstanding manifestation of human artistic creativity (3)

View of the Longmen Bridge from east bank of Yi River. [Photo by Kou Jie]

The Longmen Grottoes is one of three famous grottoes in China. The other two are the Yungang Caves near Datong in Shanxi Province and the Mogao Caves near Dunhuang in Gansu Province. The grottoes are formed along a 1km stretch of the Yi River. The plethora of caves and sculptures show a definite “progression in style”, with the early caves being simple and small, while more distinct changes can be seen in caves built during the Tang Dynasty, in which the statues are more complex and incorporate women and court figures.