The statue is a reassuring
presence, a calming feature. As
if relishing and bathing in the
eyesight of Lushena Buddha, an
atmosphere of tranquility and
dignity envelops visitors.
For 1,350 years, that 56-ft.-
high statue has stood in the
most hallowed cave among the
Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site in Luoyang,
Henan province.
For Liu Jianshe, the Buddha’s
charm may not be as fulsome
as it is for tourists. Over the past
half century, his everyday job
has been to patrol, scrutinize
and check his beloved Lushena
(the Chinese translation of San-
skrit word vairocana meaning “il-
luminator”) and other Buddhist
statues all across Longmen,
one of the world’s largest grotto
temple sites.
The slightest crack did not
evade his keen eyes. But even
he could not stop the ravages of
time. Regrettably, rocks become
unstable and the statues are
aging, which is inevitable.
“As long as I have strength, I’ll
carry on the duty,” says Liu, 67,
from a village only about 3 miles
from the grottoes, laughing.
In 1971, Liu followed his father
to join a squad of 30-odd restor-
ers to protect the cave in which
the Lushena Buddha is located.
The cave is named after Feng-
xian Temple, a site which was in
front of the Buddha statue dur-
ing the Tang Dynasty (618-907)
but no longer exists.
Almost every family in his
village then had a member who
was a stonemason, Liu says.
“I don’t know how many gen-
erations of my ancestors dealt
daily with stones, and some of
them probably carved those
grand statues,” Liu says proudly.
“We know how to take care of
stone best.”
Liu’s participation in restor-
ing the Lushena Buddha statue
in 1971 led him to a career as a
conservator at Longmen. Fifty
years seems hardly anything in
the span of a grotto, but for a
man, it is a lifetime.
A new round of massive resto-
ration, consolidating the statue,
was launched in December.
Thirty-odd restorers work on
the scaff olds, but apart from Liu,
none of those who took part in
the 1971 project are involved in
this restoration.
Much better restoration
equipment and technology are
used today, but grouting the
cracks, precisely and smoothly,
still relies on experience and
craftsmanship. And, crucially, a
human touch.
Back in the mists of time, in
493 to be precise, when the
capital of the Northern Wei
Dynasty (386-534) was moved
from present-day Datong, Shanxi
province, to Luoyang, the royal
tradition of carving Buddhist grot-toes was introduced to this city.
In the ensuing centuries,
thousands of caves and niches
were carved on the cliff , and the
most intensive carving period
dated from the end of the 5th
century to the mid-8th century.
Over 100,000 Buddhist statues
were left in the 2,345 extant
caves, now known as Longmen
Grottoes.
“The sculptures of the Long-
men Grottoes are an outstand-
ing manifestation of human
artistic creativity,” according
to UNESCO. “(The grottoes)
illustrate the perfection of a
long-established art form which
was to play a highly signifi cant
role in the cultural evolution in
this region of Asia.”
The site of Fengxian Temple,
where nine giant statues of
Buddhist deities were vividly
carved, is undoubtedly the most
recognizable icon among the
grottoes. Carved during theIT (THE
RESTORATION)
PROVIDES A
PRECIOUS
PLATFORM FOR
VARIOUS ACADEMIC
PROGRAMS
INVOLVING MANY
OTHER INSTITUTES
AND UNIVERSITIES
AND IT WILL
BE LASTINGLY
BENEFICIAL
AFTER THE
RENOVATION ENDS.”
SHI JIAZHEN, DIRECTOR OF
LONGMEN GROTTOES RESEARCH
ACADEMY‘‘
GUARDIANS
OF HERITAGE
China Watch materials are distributed by China Daily Distribution Corp. on behalf of China Daily, Beijing, China.ADVERTISEMENTCHINAWATCH
PRESENTED BY CHINA DAILY
BY WANG KAIHAO
Restorers protect treasure from ravages of time
From left: Restorers working on the scaff olds to tackle water-related problems and thus strengthen rock solidarity at the restoration site on March 16. ZHANG YIXI /
FOR CHINA DAILY Staff members adopt modern detecting methods to draft a restoration plan on April 13. PHOTOS BY LI AN / XINHUA