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Longmen
Caves
About eight miles south of Luoyang on the Yi River, at a spot
where high cliffs on either side form a pass, is a caved area once known
as the "Gate of Yi River", which later became known as Longmen,
or the “Dragon
Gate.”
Craftsmen began work on Buddhist grottoes in 494 when an emperor of the
Northern Wei moved the capital from what is now known as Datong (Shanxi
Province) to Luoyang. The artistry is therefore an extension
from Datong. The work at Longmen proceeded through seven
dynasties, and in more than 1,300 caves, there are 40 small pagodas, and
almost 100,000 Buddha statues ranging
in size from one inch to 57 feet. These caves and the stone sculptures
they contain rank with the caves at Yungang and Dunhuang as the great
remaining masterpieces of Buddhist culture in China.
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Longmen Caves |
Luoyang Peonies
China is famous for its peonies, a flower known for its "celestial
beauty and fragrance." The peony symbolizes peace, fortune
prosperity. As early as the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) the
blossoms from Luoyang were already renowned. The scholar Quyang Xiu
wrote a poem declaring that Luoyang soil is the most suitable for
cultivating peonies, and local flowers are so beautiful they win the
admiration of the world.
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Luoyang Peonies
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Among the many varieties of Luoyang peonies, the most precious are
the graceful Yao Yellow and the beautiful Wei Purple, crowned the
"king" and "queen" of peonies. The pure, frosty White Which Shines
at night and the Two Qiao Beauties, in pink and crimson or violet,
show in their beauty the superiority of their species.
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