Henan | One of the nine major grottoes in the country

❤Recommended reason: In the late Northern Wei Dynasty, the royal family excavated the Longmen Grottoes, which greatly stimulated the Buddhist statue movement around Luoyang. Among these statues, the Gongxian Grottoes are the most dazzling. 🌟Highlight features: The Gongxian Grottoes are listed as one of the nine major grottoes in the country, and their flying sky and emperor and queen worshiping Buddha are national treasures. The Grotto Temple was built in the second year of Xiping in the Northern Wei Dynasty (517 AD), originally named Xixuan Temple, named Jingtusi in the Tang Dynasty, named Shifang Jingtusi in the Song and Ming Dynasties, and renamed Grotto Temple in the Qing Dynasty. 👍Most recommended: The grottoes are divided into east and west zones. The 1st and 2nd grottoes are in the west zone, and the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grottoes are in the east zone. Except for the 5th grotto, the other four grottoes are square, with a central pillar, niches carved on all four sides of the pillar (mostly one Buddha, two disciples, two Bodhisattvas), and the grotto ceiling is carved with flat chess, with the 5th grotto's caisson carving being the most exquisite. The Buddha's face is round and square, the clothing lines are clear, and the expression is peaceful, which is different from the deep-eyed, high-nosed, and bone-clear images of the early Northern Wei Dynasty such as the Yungang Grottoes. Although the Gongxian Grottoes are not as majestic and magnificent as the Yungang and Longmen Grottoes, they have commendable aspects in terms of grotto form, theme, and composition.