China: Longmen Grottoes

Longmen Grottoes is perhaps the most famous of the several grottos sites with massive carved out caves and Buddhas around China. A UNESCO World Heritage site, its the sheer scale of the craftsmanship is overwhelming. Thousands of alcoves, ranging from tiny niches to massive caverns, house an insane array of statues built and carved over centuries. Fengxian Temple is the largest and most famous cave, housing the 17m-tall Vairocana Buddha, carved during the Tang Dynasty. Guyang Cave is the oldest cave and features intricate Northern Wei-style carvings of early Buddhist art and calligraphy. Wanfo Cave contains over 15,000 tiny Buddha figures, some as small as two cm. West Hill has the most caves and carvings, while the East Hill across the river has smaller and secondary sites. The crowds here are just insane, it’s worse than an electronic music festival in Europe – jam-packed to the max and long and non-moving lines, which somewhat brings down the overall enjoyment.