Cave lintels and Longmen Grottoes

Updated: 2015-10-22

The decorative patterns of cave lintels in Longmen Grottoes belong to an important category of decorations in the treasure house of ancient Buddhist cave art.

A cave, or grotto in Longmen, is the space to enshrine the Buddha. The cave lintel refers to the horizontal beam that supports the weight above the door of the cave.

Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan province [Photo / Longmen Grottoes on WeChat]

A small grotto at the south side of Guyang Cave with eight characters in the orthographic script [Photo / Longmen Grottoes on WeChat]

A grotto in the east side of the Fengxian Temple has a lintel in the shape of a wood-structure room. [Photo / Longmen Grottoes on WeChat]