EXTRA: Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang, Henan

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on December 9, 2013.)

Colossal Vairocana Buddha (毗卢遮那佛) at Longmen Grottoes (龙门石窟) in Luoyang, Henan (河南, 洛阳市).
It's said that this is the face of Wu Zetian (武则天), the empress who paid for much of the carving.

November 2, 2011 - Longmen is considered one of the three "Top Buddhist Grottoes" in China, and was the first of these that I visited. It is considered by some to be the best of the three. (I still have not been to Mogao/Dunhuang, but I have seen Yungang at Datong.)

No. 80: Baima Temple, Luoyang, Henan

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on December 2, 2013.)

This White Horse in front of Baima Temple (白马寺) in Luoyang, Henan (河南, 洛阳市),
represents one of those who gave the temple its name: "Baima" is Chinese for "White Horse."

November 1, 2011 - Baima Temple in Luoyang is reputedly the first Buddhist temple in ancient China. Named for the white horses ("bai ma") that brought two monks from India, it retains a special relationship with the Indian people.

Trip 13: Henan(October 31-November 5, 2011)

This is a record of my thirteenth trip to visit the 142 Key Temples of China. Links lead to articles on the temple (or other site) named.