Mystery of the Longyou Caves in Zhejing Province, China
Near a small village called Shiyanbei in the Yazhou region, which sits in the middle of Zhejing Province, China, is a cave system like no other. Its extensive, magnificent, and rare ancient underground world is considered in China as “the ninth wonder of the ancient world.”
The strangest thing about this discovery is not so much their immense size, but the fact that there are no records existing of their creation.
First discovered in 1992 by a local villager, 36 grottoes have now been discovered covering a massive 30,000 square metres. Carved into solid siltstone, each grotto descends around 30 metres underground and contains stone rooms, bridges, gutters and pools. There are pillars evenly distributed throughout the caves which are supporting the ceiling, and the walls, ceiling and stone columns are uniformly decorated with chisel marks in a series of parallel lines. Only one of the caves has been opened for tourism, chosen because of the stone carvings found inside which depict a horse, fish and bird. The Longyou caves truly are an enigma.
Who built them? Short answer — nobody knows, although only the emperor and his leaders could have organized such a huge project, that’s if it was made at that time. Even if this was true, a project of this scale being commissioned by an emperor would leave historical records of its construction.
Every single one of the caves is covered, from floor to ceiling, in parallel lines that have been chiselled into virtually every surface. The effect is a uniform pattern throughout the caves, which would have required immense manpower and endless hours to create. The question is why? Was such labour-intensive work purely for decoration? Are the lines or patterns symbolic in some way? All that is currently known is that the markings are similar to those found on pottery housed in a nearby museum, which is dated between 500 and 800 BC.
One of the most interesting and challenging questions is how the caves have been able to keep their structural integrity for more than 2000 years. There are no signs of collapse, no piles of rubble, and no damage despite the fact that in some areas the walls are only 50 centimetres thick. Over the centuries, the area has gone through numerous floods, calamities and wars, the mountains have changed their appearance and exposed stones have been weathered, but inside the caves, the form, patterns and markings are still clear and precise – it is as though they were built yesterday.
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China vacation, 2019 Day 5 - Luoyang, Longman Caves and White Horse Gottoes.
China vacation 2019 - Day 5
Traveling from Luoyang, to see the Longman Caves and White Horse Gottoes.
China. officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia and the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.404 billion. Covering approximately 9,600,000 square kilometers, it is the third- or fourth-largest country by total area.
Luoyang, City in China
Luoyang is an industrial city in central China’s Henan province, in what is widely recognized as the region where Chinese civilization originated. Luoyang, ancient China’s capital during multiple dynasties, is home to Baima Si (White Horse Temple), among China’s first Buddhist temples, founded in the 1st century. Nearby, the Longmen Grottoes contain thousands of Buddhist rock carvings dating to the 5th century.
Longmen Grottoes
The Longmen Grottoes (simplified Chinese: 龙门石窟; traditional Chinese: 龍門石窟; pinyin: Lóngmén Shíkū; literally: 'Dragon's Gate Grottoes') or Longmen Caves are some of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art. Housing tens of thousands of statues of Buddha and his disciples, they are located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south of present-day Luoyang in Henan province, China. The images, many once painted, were carved as outside rock reliefs and inside artificial caves excavated from the limestone cliffs of the Xiangshan (香山) and Longmenshan, running east and west. The Yi River (Chinese: 伊河) flows northward between them and the area used to be called Yique (伊阙; 'The Gate of the Yi River').[1][2][3] The alternative name of Dragon's Gate Grottoes derives from the resemblance of the two hills that check the flow of the Yi River to the typical Chinese gate towers that once marked the entrance to Luoyang from the south.[4] There are as many as 100,000 statues within the 2,345 caves, ranging from 1 inch (25 mm) to 57 feet (17 m) in height. The area also contains nearly 2,500 stelae and inscriptions, hence the name “Forest of Ancient Stelae, as well as over sixty Buddhist pagodas. Situated in a scenic natural environment, the caves were dug from a 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) stretch of cliff running along both banks of the river. 30% date from the Northern Wei and 60% from the Tang dynasty, caves from other periods accounting for less than 10% of the total.[3] Starting with the Northern Wei Dynasty in 493 AD, patrons and donors included emperors, Wu Zetian, members of the royal family, other rich families, generals, and religious groups.[1][5]
In 2000 the site was inscribed upon the UNESCO World Heritage List as “an outstanding manifestation of human artistic creativity,” for its perfection of an art form, and for its encapsulation of the cultural sophistication of Tang China.
White Horse Temple
White Horse Temple (simplified Chinese: 白马寺; traditional Chinese: 白馬寺; pinyin: Báimǎ Sì; Wade–Giles: Pai-ma szu) is, according to tradition, the first Buddhist temple in China, established in 68 AD under the patronage of Emperor Ming in the Eastern Han dynasty capital Luoyang.
The site is just outside the walls of the ancient Eastern Han capital, some 12–13 kilometres (7.5–8.1 mi) east of Luoyang in Henan Province. It is approximately 40 minutes by bus No. 56 from Luoyang railway station.[4] The temple, although small in comparison to many others in China, is considered by most believers as the cradle of Chinese Buddhism.[5] The geographical landmarks to the south are Manghan mountain and Lucoche River.[6]
The main temple buildings, a large complex, were reconstructed during the Ming (1368 to 1644) and Qing (1644 to 1912) dynasties.[7] They were refurbished in the 1950s, and again in March 1973 after the Cultural Revolution. It has numerous halls divided by courtyards and manicured gardens, covering an area of about 13 hectares (32 acres). The display plaques in Chinese and English give ample descriptions of the Buddhist deities installed in the halls. Significant statues include Śākyamuni Buddha, Maitreya (the laughing Buddha in China), the Jade Buddha, figures of saints such as Guru Avalokiteśvara, Amitābha and arhats and stone statues of the two white horses which brought the Indian monks to China and two mythical lions at the entrance.[1][2][3] Under international funding, the temple has undergone many changes, both structurally and internally. The most recent cooperative project, with India, was completed in 2008 when the Sanchi Stupa and the Sarnath Buddha statue were erected.
Thanks to Globespace Travel and Tours for helping us organize our trip!
The Mystery of The Longyou Caves
In 1992, a strangely curious man named Wu Anai, near the Chinese village of Shiyan Beicun in Longyou County, based on a hunch, began to pump water out of a pond in his village. Anai believed the pond was not natural, nor was it infinitely deep as the local lore went, and he decided to prove it. He convinced some of his villagers and together they bought a water pump and began to siphon water out of the pond. After 17 days of pumping, the water level fell enough to reveal the flooded entrance to an ancient, man-made cave, confirming Anai’s suspicion.
This cave, now called the Longyou Caves, represent one of the largest underground excavation made during ancient times. A total of 24 hand-dug caves were eventually discovered, each with an average floor area of a thousand square meters and ceilings that reaches heights of up to 30 meters. The total area covered by all the caves exceeds 30,000 square meters.
Travelogue in Luoyang 2: One of the four ancient capitals of China
In this episode Travelogue explores the outskirts of Henan's ancient city of Luoyang. Presenter Katrina Yu stands in awe at the thousand year old Buddhist statues of the historic Longmen grottoes, is invited into the kitchen of a master chef serving up an 'Emperor's banquet' and gets an interactive behind the scenes look at the colourful and funny Henan opera.
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Silversmiths : Yunnan -China Part 4
Xin Hua Silversmiths ,He Qing county,Yunnan/China April 2006. Pictures by Yi-ZhaoYi and Laurent Max De Cock.Part 4
Bai minority.
Travelogue in Luoyang 1: One of the four ancient capitals of China
In this episode Travelogue ventures to the city of Luoyang in Henan, one of the four ancient capitals of China. Presenter Katrina Yu explores the old city, wonders through rooms of priceless treasures at one of the country's top museum, and goes on a culinary quest at a bustling local market.
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Longyou Caves China and more Caves
Imagine exploring a cave where the water is as acidic as battery acid. That is the problem that China Caves expedition to Xingwen faced in 1992. I worked as underground cameraman on this expedition.
Defying Explanation The Mystery of the Longyou Grotto Caves. CLICK HERE TO LEARN DISCOVER MORE: Scientists state the following five characteristics define the Longyou.
Unknown and Mysterious Longyou Caves in China ---- Knobs on Mgalithic blocks - traces of unnknown technology . This Place has Discovered in the 1990s. Located near the village of Shiyan.
Longyou Caves - Points of Interest [China | Travel Guide]
The Longyou Caves are as mysterious as they are beautiful. How did these 10,000m caves get here? Who dug them?? What purpose did they serve? And how did they survive long enough for us to enjoy? Nobody knows. But we are going deep into the heart of China to find out!
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#China #Longyou #Caves
Impossible Longyou Caves in China
The Longyou Caves are a series of large artificial sandstone caverns located at Phoenix Hill, near the village of Shiyan Beicun on the Qu River in Longyou County, Quzhou prefecture, Zhejiang province, China. They are thought to date to a period before the creation of the Qin Dynasty in 212 BCE, although no trace of their construction or even their existence has been located in the historic record.
The caves are notable in several respects:
The caves are very large considering their man-made origin: the average floor area of each cave is over a 1,000 square metres (11,000 sq ft), with heights of up to 30 metres (98 ft), and the total area covered is in excess of 30,000 square metres (320,000 sq ft).
The ceiling, wall and pillar surfaces are all finished in the same manner, as a series of parallel bands or courses about 60 cm wide containing parallel chiselling marks set at an angle of about 60° to the axis of the course.
They have maintained their structural integrity and appear not to interconnect with each other
Mysterious Longyou Caves of China - Artificial Carved Caves for Health Benefits?
Mysterious Longyou Caves of China - Artificial Carved Caves for Health Benefits?
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Longyou caves China by Zhangzhugang
Live: Beat the heat with a trip to Mount Wutai 炎炎夏日里的“清凉山”
Heat waves are sweeping many parts of the world this summer. Cool off on Mount Wutai in north China’s Shanxi Province, one of the most renowned Buddhist destinations in the world. The stunning views and cooler temperatures there are attracting more visitors now than during the winter. Join CGTN's Hu Chao for a glimpse of the ancient Buddhist temples and their history and culture.
Luoyang, Henan
Luoyang.VOB
Body of Headless Buddhist Sculpture Arrives in Taiwan
The body of an ancient Buddhist sculpture arrived in Taiwan, China on Friday, for a planned reunion with the head, which was stolen more than one and a half decades ago from the Chinese mainland.
The headless statue was housed in a museum in north China's Hebei Province and it will be pieced back together at the Fo Guang Shan Temple in the city of Kaohsiung during a Cross-Strait exhibition on May 23.
The sculpture, made of white marble, dates back to the North Qi (550-557) of South and North Dynasties.
It was originally worshiped in Youju Temple in Lingshou County, Hebei, where the Buddha's head was stolen in 1996. The body, which is 1.59 meters tall, was later sent to the Hebei provincial museum for protection.
The 80 kg head was presented to Master Hsing Yun, founding abbot of the Fo Guang Shan Temple in Kaohsiung, by a private collector last year. After the abbot discovered its history, he voluntarily contacted China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage to return the relic.
A total of 54 pieces of Buddhist cultural relics have also been delivered to Taiwan together with the Buddha body.
The main relics we have brought this time are green glazed potteries. They are unique in Hebei and their shape is special for combining some western styles. In addition, we have brought some relics unearthed from the underground palace of the Nanan Temple Tower. All of these are precious Buddhist cultural relics, said Li Xinwei, curator of the Yuxian Museum.
The Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council approved the body be sent to Kaohsiung for a three-month Buddhist Cultural Relic Exhibition before the entire statue is sent back to Hebei.
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NYC_MPM-Longmen Grottoes Sculpture in Relief
紐約大都會博物館
收藏 龍門石窟 賓陽洞東壁 北魏孝文帝禮佛浮雕
China 2005 08 - Yanhshou water caves
Longsheng, location of the famous rice terraces. Walk in the
8 Ancient Constructions Still Baffle Us
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Ancient constructions that still baffle us. Many historical discoveries solved mysteries that we couldn't explain. Here are the most stunning constructions, such as Goliath Gates & the Moai Statues.
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8 Goliath Gates
In 2015, a large gate was discovered that may have once marked the entrance to the city of Gath. Gath was one of the largest cities in the region & home to Goliath. Also found were fortifications nearby, which will take some time to fully excavate & the remains of a temple with ironworks & pottery associated with Philistine culture. The find, raises questions regarding other potential discoveries with origins rooted in tradition.
7 Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni
Dating from around 4000 BC, the Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni is the world’s, only known prehistoric underground temple. Built on three superimposed layers, the lower of which rests 35 feet below ground level. Many objects were found during the excavation of the site, including decorated pot vessels, clay & stone beads, & figures depicting animals & human figures. The most notable of them is the ‘Sleeping Lady'. Perhaps the most incredible aspect about Malta’s underground wonder is its acoustic properties. Voices with a range of 95 to 120 Hz can reverberate throughout the entire complex. If the frequency is maintained it’s said that it produces an almost trance-like state that can stimulate the creative side of the brain.
6 Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza held the title of the world’s tallest building for roughly 3,800 years from its completion around 2560 BC. One of the original 7 wonders of the world. The gigantic structure was built using over 2 million stone blocks. Some of the massive blocks had to be transported from 500 miles away. Perhaps the most baffling aspects about the pyramid are its accurate measurements & geometry. The plane on which it rests was artificially flattened & is only 0.8 inches away from being perfectly horizontal. The alignment of stones is incredibly precise & all four sides of the pyramid are oriented almost perfectly to the four cardinal directions. Large blocks of casing stones were also used & placed atop the pyramid. These were polished to the point that they reflected sunlight, turning the pyramid into a visual spectacle.
5 Newgrange
Newgrange, located in the Boyne Valley, County Meath, Ireland isn’t as famous as Stonehenge, its younger Neolithic relative, but it’s just as, if not more mysterious. A cairn containing a staggering 220,705 tons of loose stones covers the space. The structure is ringed on the outside by an array of standing stones. This man-made construction has many theories as to how the standing stones arrived on site. Some of the stones display geometric patterns that were hidden from view for reasons unknown.
Inside the main chamber has remained dry, for thousands of years. This was an inbuilt feature. Constructed around 3200 BC considering the low population of the area at the time & the massive scope of the project, it’s very existence, is puzzling.
4 Neanderthal Cave Circles
Bruniquel cave in Southern France seems to tell a different story about humanity’s evolution. Massive circles carved out of stalagmites were found inside the cave & these appear to be man-made. What’s staggering is that carbon dating indicates the circles are roughly 175,000 years old. The only hominins around the region at the time were the so-called brutish & unintelligent Neanderthals. This discovery seems to reinforce the growing theory that Neanderthals weren’t as primitive as first thought.
3 Gobekli Tepe
Gobekli Tepe also known as Potbelly Hill is an archaeological site located on an artificial mound in Turkey’s Southern Anatolia Region. Among the ruins found are massive limestone slabs & T-shaped pillars that once stood over 20 feet & weigh between 10 & 20 tons.
2 Longyou Caves
The man-made Longyou Caves definitely raise more questions than they answer. Found in the village of Shiyan Becun deep in China’s Zhejiang province, these caves were an underwater secret for millennia. That's how roughly 320,000 square feet of hand-dug caverns were found. Containing separate rooms, pools, bridges & pillars meant to sustain the ceiling.
1 Moai Statues
The monolithic human figures from Easter Island are among the world’s most mysterious constructions. Known as the Moai, these massive statues were created by the Rapa nui people, the island’s original inhabitants. Sculpted between 1250 & 1500, most of the Moai faced inland, towards the communities. The Moai heads are significantly larger than their bodies & feature strong chins, broad noses & carved eye sockets built to hold black obsidian & coral. What’s most impressive is their sheer size.
The Mysterious LongYou Caves of China
Nobody knows who built them, why or when.
10 Mysterious Places in Asia
From temples with possibly magical artifacts, to monasteries hidden away in the Himalayas here are 10 mysterious places in Asia.
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10. Fengdu Ghost City China
The Fengdu ghost city located in the Ming Mountains, in Fengdu county is a religious complex completely dedicated to the afterlife. So you can imagine it gets a little bit creepy. The complex consists of monasteries, shrines, temples and sculptures dedicated to Chinese mythology . This photo here shows the bridge of helplessness, which legend says, every soul must cross before entering the underworld. This photo here shows a vengeful ghost statue which sure to scare some kids. These somewhat of a mysterious mix between Confucianism, taoism and buddhism at this location and the origins of this site date back to 2000 years ago. There are some good examples of traditional chinese architecture here like we see with the home viewing pavilion, which is another place wandering souls will walkthough during their first journey as a ghost where they can meet their loved ones.. With all these legends, you have to wonder whether or not this place is haunted.
9. Haw Par Villa
8. Kawah Ijen Indonesia
The active volcano in Java indonesia is already fairly powerful and mysterious enough on its own, but there’s also a sulfur mine that’s become a popular tourist attraction in recent years which has baffled many tourists. Much of the landscape is yellow from the sulfer deposits here and it almost looks like some kind of alien planet. The crater is kind of a dangerous place to be, with active volcanic activity but that won’t keep some miners from trying to collect the sulfur here. A unique glowing blue fire is created when sulfuric gases ignite, like we see in this image and you have to wonder if there’s anywhere else like this in the world
7.The Tikis of Hiva Oa
6. Rani Ki Vav
Located in India, the Rani Ki Vav was constructed as a memorial to an 11th century King as a highly decorated step well. but it’s believed that this was originally dug as a water pit around the 3rd century BC . It’s a recently added UNESCO world heritage site and holds over 500 main sculptures. Many of the sculptures are dedicated to the god Vishnu in extremely detailed fashion. It illustrates the architectural capabilities during the medieval ages of India and the extent of the craftsmanship seems to go beyond what’s necessary. This monument was fairly recently discovered too in the 1980’s so it’s crazy what kinda things can be under our very own feet for so long without us even knowing. The beautiful condition this monument still displays after nearly a millenium is quite the mystery.
5. Ruins of Wat Phia Wat, Laos
4. Temple of the Tooth
Located in the island country of Sri Lanka, south east of India, is one of the most sacred relics in the buddhist religion. It’s said that those who possess it will have divine rule over the land. We’re talking about an actual tooth from Siddhartha Gautama, AKA Mr. Buddha himself. Wars have broken out in order to possess this mysteriously powerful relic and it’s even been held ransom by the Portuguese! Other countries claim to be in possession of the Buddha too, but considering the fact that was was born in Sri Lanka, chances are, this one is more likely to actually be authentic. The tooth is currently being held in the city of Kandy in a temple specifically designed to house it. On wednesdays, there is a symbolic cleaning of the tooth, not with toothpaste, but with scented water and herbal potions. Could the tooth actually hold some kind of mystical power like they claim?
3. Paro Taktsang Monastery, Bhutan
2. Longmen Grottoes
Caves are already mysterious as it is and then when you add buddha into the mix in an isolated place it gets even more mysterious., basically. Loacated Northeast China, the Longmen Grottoes are magnificent works of Chinese Buddhist artwork much of which are carved out of the cliffisides. And these sculptures are huge too! These carvings range from 57 feet to 1 inch and is visible from the other side of the Yi River like see here. If you venture off inside some of the grottoes, you’ll come across countless different sculptures which date back as far as the 478 AD. Unesco has said that this place is “an outstanding manifestation of human artistic creativity”. It’s often considered to be the largest collection of ancient art in China and what we see now is several hundred years of dedicated hard work
Shwedagon Pagoda.
Longyou Grottoes (China)
Greetings from David 大卫 Dawei...
Please leave any comments or questions below
Longyou Grottoes are a series of man made caves several hours outside of Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province) China.
Discovered in 1992, but supposedly created hundreds of years ago before technology was available to easily create such spaces
ABOUT David 大卫 Dawei
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Unknown and Mysterious Longyou Caves
Unknown and Mysterious Longyou Caves in China
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Knobs on Mgalithic blocks - traces of unnknown technology
Traces of unknown technology
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