Raw data
Fengxian Monastery 奉先寺 with the Longmen Grottoes 龍門石窟 near Luoyang 洛陽/Henan.
http://www.numerals.de/Art/Pagodas/pagodas.html
The core of Longmen Caves is the Fengxian Monastery 奉先寺. It is marked by a large terrace facing the Luo River.
http://www.chinaknowledge.de/Art/Grottoes/grottoes.html
"Fengxian Monastery at the Buddhist grottoes of Longmen, […] was completed in the year 676 under the sponsorship of Empress Wu. …"
www.international.ucla.edu/china/papers/mcnair_paper.pdf
Longmen, China Page
Other names: Lung-men-chien,Lung-men
World:China:Henan Sheng
Lat 34.5764 Long 112.4650
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/9/Longmen.html
Luoyang, China Page
Other names: Honan,Lo-yand,Lo-yang,Lo-yang-shih,Honanfu,Lo-yang-hsien
World:China:Henan Sheng
Lat 34.6836 Long 112.4536
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/9/Luoyang.html
Input by: tmciolek, Dec 16, 2009
"The Longmen Grottoes (龙门石窟, lóngmén shíkū; lit. Dragon's Gate Grottoes) or Longmen Caves are located 12 km south of present day Luòyáng in Hénán province, China. The grottoes, which overwhelmingly depict Buddhist subjects, are densely dotted along the two mountains: Xiangshan (to the east) and Longmenshan (to the west). The Yi River flows northward between them. For this reason, the area used to be called Yique (The Gate of the Yi River). From north to south, the distance covered by grottoes is about one km. Along with the Mogao Caves and Yungang Grottoes, the Longmen Grottoes are one of the three most famous ancient sculptural sites in China. There are over 2100 niches, more than 100,000 statues, some 40 pagodas and 3600 tablets and steles in the caves of Guyang, Binyang and Lianhua.
According to the Longmen Caves Research Institute, there are 2345 caves and niches, 2800 inscriptions, 43 pagodas and over 100,000 Buddhist images at the site. 30% of the caves date from the Northern Wei Dynasty, 60% from the Tang Dynasty, and caves from other periods less than 10%. It is the most impressive collection of Chinese art from these dynasties, and, dating from 316 to 907 CE, represents the zenith of stone carving in China."
http://scenery.cultural-china.com/en/172Scenery5586.html
Input by: tmciolek, Jul 26, 2011
Final data (and their sources)
Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 200 m from the point defined by the coordinates below.
General location of the Fengxian monastery, CN.
Lat 34.5521 Long 112.4735
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2009.
Google Map link:
Final data - explanatory notes
1. Monastery's name
- Fengxian Monastery 奉先寺 - http://www.numerals.de/Art/Pagodas/pagodas.html
2. Monastery's modern country & province
- China:Henan Sheng
3. Monastery's alternative/historical names
- Longmen Grottoes - http://www.numerals.de/Art/Pagodas/pagodas.html
- Longmen Caves - http://www.chinaknowledge.de/Art/Grottoes/grottoes.html
- 龙门石窟, lóngmén shíkū; lit. Dragon's Gate Grottoes - http://scenery.cultural-china.com/en/172Scenery5586.html
4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates
- Approx., Lat 34.5521 Long 112.4735 - visual identification of the grottoes' site in maps.google.com - tmciolek, 30 Dec 2009.
5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries
final data ….
6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village
7. The settlement's alternative/historical names
- Lung-men-chien - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/9/Longmen.html
- Lung-men - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/9/Longmen.html
8. The settlement's coordinates
- Exactly, Lat 34.5764 Long 112.4650 - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/CH/9/Longmen.html
9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition
- Mahayana
10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition
final data ….
11. Date-early
- Est. 676 CE - www.international.ucla.edu/china/papers/mcnair_paper.pdf
12. Date-intermediate
final data ….
13. Date-late
final data ….
14. Details of contacts with other monasteries
final data ….
15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery
final data ….
16. Additional notes
final data (incl. details of the size of the monastic population)….
17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by
final data ….
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