龙门石窟

Why this place

Longmen is the greatest of the Chinese Buddhist cave sites: 2,300 caves and niches and over 100,000 figures carved into limestone cliffs on both banks of the Yi River, from the Northern Wei through the Tang. Its centrepiece is the 17-metre Vairocana Buddha, whose face is one of the most reproduced images in Chinese art.

What to see

• The Fengxian Temple with the giant Vairocana Buddha and its attendant figures
• The Ten Thousand Buddha Cave and the Bingyang caves, on the west hill
• The east hill caves, which are quieter and give you the view back across the river
• The Xiangshan temple and Bai Juyi's tomb, on the east bank

What to eat

• Luoyang water banquet — a sequence of soup dishes, the local formal meal
• Luoyang's 'bufan' soup and the peony-themed sweets in April

How to plan

Half a day, best in the late afternoon.

Best time

April–May and September–October; late afternoon light on the big Buddha is best

Practical tips

• The site is 12km south of Luoyang — get there by 4pm and stay for the lighting at dusk