Excavation of the Longmen Grottoes

Timeline

1. 493–500Longmen Grottoes · Luoyang CityAfter Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital to Luoyang, imperial grotto carving began at Yique Mountain (Longmen), choosing cliff sites on both banks of the Yi River, continuing the Yungang model while absorbing the aesthetics of Luoyang's Han cultural sphere.
2. 500–523Binyang Caves, Longmen Grottoes · Luoyang CityDuring Emperor Xuanwu's reign, large-scale carving produced early caves such as the Binyang Three Caves; the statues' faces tended toward slender, refined features, reflecting a stylistic shift in Buddhist art under the Northern Wei's sinicization policy.
3. 523–550Longmen Grottoes · Luoyang CityAfter the Northern Wei split into Eastern and Western Wei, Luoyang fell under Eastern Wei rule, yet the Longmen Grottoes continued to be carved with funding from nobles and monks, producing more medium-sized caves and niches by the mid-6th century.