Tag Archives: Longmen Caves

Weekly Photo Challenge: Beloved

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England

Japanese Film
Drunken Angel
old Japanese films
Ozu’s film

Old Japanese films by Ozu, Kurosawa, et al

Sweets

Sweets

Art Institute Degas exhibit
Mural by Black Tiger Springs, Jinan, China
Buddha

Art

Watch for a second post. There’s more to come.

1. Each week, we’ll provide a theme for creative inspiration. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Wednesday when the next photo theme will be announced.

2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “Weekly Photo Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.

3. Follow The Daily Post so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements, and subscribe to our newsletter – we’ll highlight great posts. Add Media photos from each month’s most popular challenge.

Just a few wonderful posts:

 

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Variations

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Buddhist Stupa, Thailand
Buddha
Was Buddha a minimalist?
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Westminster Catholic Church, London

Heian Shrine
Nanzenji, Kyoto
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Grand Mosque, Pekanbaru, Indonesia

St. Sophia Russian Orthodox Church

1. Each week, we’ll provide a theme for creative inspiration. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Wednesday when the next photo theme will be announced.

2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “Weekly Photo Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.

3. Follow The Daily Post so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements, and subscribe to our newsletter – we’ll highlight great posts. Add Media photos from each month’s most popular challenge.

Just a few wonderful posts:

Travel Theme: Broken

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Broken Buddha

Broken Buddha

Near Datong

Near Datong

Longmen Grottoes

Longmen Grottoes

Each week Ailsa of Where’s My Backpack? challenges bloggers with a creative word. This week we’re to post photos inspired by “Broken.” That took me in a few directions as we’re invited by advertisement, friends, temptations, and commerce. I hit a few of these possibilities with the photos above.

What do you find inviting? If you want to join the fun, follow these steps:

  • Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Inviting
  • Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
  • Get your post in by next Thursday, as the new travel theme comes out on Friday
  • Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on the latest weekly travel themes. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS!

Check out Where’s My Backpack for more photos interpreting “Broken.”

 

Longmen Caves

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West side

The Longmen Caves drew me to Henan. I’d seen photos of this UNESCO World Heritage Site and found the caves with the tens of thousands of sculptures mesmerizing and mysterious. UNESCO’s site briefly explains their historic and cultural significance stating,:

“The grottoes and niches of Longmen contain the largest and most impressive collection of Chinese art of the late Northern Wei and Tang Dynasties (316-907). These works, entirely devoted to the Buddhist religion, represent the high point of Chinese stone carving.”

Though it’s a bit difficult to get to Luoyang as there are fewer trains then for destinations like Beijing or Qingdao, my friend and I were up for the journey.

Once we got to Luoyang, getting to the caves was simple. Our hostel was on a main street and a bus that went down it took us to the caves. In fact, three public buses go to the caves so you can get there for just 1 rmb, with no hassle.

The tickets are pricey at 120 rmb. Bear in mind that it’s 40 rmb to see the Forbidden City. Towns like Luoyang or Taian charge hefty entrance fees because “we only have this one site.” Well, overseas tourists can afford it, but a lot of Chinese folks can’t. That’s a shame. I wonder if they have free days. They want to limit the crowds but some free days with reservations could work.

See how their heads are missing

Many of the figures have been vandalized either as art theft or during periods when Buddhism fell out of favor. During some eras monks would have to follow Confucian practices. Since they were celibate, the younger monks were considered “sons” to the older “fathers” and that’s how they stayed on good terms with the powerful.

I learned that the West side of the river was used by pilgrims, while the east side, where there are fewer carvings, was for monks’ exclusive rites.

Our guidebook said that some of these missing hands and faces are in major museums. We did see signs that told visitors that the rest of the statue was in Canada, Boston or New York, etc. Some museums have returned the pieces and they’re housed in Luoyang’s terrific museum.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Big

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Buddha in the Old Sun Cave

The Buddha shown above is the showstopper at the Longmen Caves in Luoyang, Henan, China.

New to The Daily Post? Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, you’re invited to get involved in our Weekly Photo Challenge to help you meet your blogging goals and give you another way to take part in Post a Day / Post a Week. Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

1. Each week, we’ll provide a theme for creative inspiration. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog anytime before the following Friday when the next photo theme will be announced.

2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “Weekly Photo Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use a “postaday2012″ or “postaweek2012″ tag.

3. Subscribe to The Daily Post so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS.