Built 13 km to the south of Luoyang, Henan province, these grottoes contain more than 100,000 statues in 1,300 caves, dating from 494 AD to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127).

More lifelike than the Yungang Grottoes, most were created in the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD) during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian (624-705AD), who was a fervent Buddhist.

Folk legends say that the 17-m tall Vairocana Buddha statue at Fengxian Temple was modeled on the empress herself.

A good choice for a souvenir is a lantern in a style dating back to the 1st century AD.

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(China Daily August 14, 2008)