So China and Japan are working together on the preservation? That is good news.

There was no date on the film. Googled and came up with a date for start of work in 1951, last date mention was 1999. Again we bump up against information release times.

At 1:35, you mentioned that the Buddha is believed to be sponsored by the Empress Wu Zetian (武则天). She surely had a strong connection with Buddhism, but was it the only reason for her to be interested in sponsoring this particular Buddha sculpture?

Hope it helps. There are multiple claims stating that Zetian is building the statues partly according to her own face. This is like some sign of giving her the legitimacy of rule in a male dominated society. Moreover, Zetian sponsored a great number of translation works of buddhist canons, supported the woodblock printing of some, which survived in a stupa in Kyoengju, S. Korea, and wrote a famous verse lauding the supremacy of buddhist teachings (开经偈), which is often recited prior to reading sutras by buddhists. The aforementioned legitimacy may, to some extent, come from her building her impression in the public as a buddhist empress.

I have never heard of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Was it a short dynasty or like an unpopular one?

The Northern Wei Dynasty was more than a century long. It existed from 386 to 534/5.

If it is mostly filled with Buddhist statues, why is it called The Longmen Grottoes?

Longmen is in romanized chinese; with long meaning dragon and men meaning gate. From wikipedia: The alternative name of "Dragon's Gate Grottoes" derives from the resemblance of the two hills that check the flow of the Yi River to the typical "Chinese gate towers" that once marked the entrance to Luoyang from the south.

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Longmen Grottoes (UNESCO/NHK)

Name: Longmen Grottoes (UNESCO/NHK)
Uploaded: 2014-11-06T20:53:48Z
Description: 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.

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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.

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BrianWillott
Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to BrianWillott's post “So China and Japan are wo...”
So China and Japan are working together on the preservation? That is good news.
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(8 votes)
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- Dana Hager
  Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Dana Hager's post “There was no date on the ...”
  There was no date on the film. Googled and came up with a date for start of work in 1951, last date mention was 1999. Again we bump up against information release times.
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  (5 votes)
Margaret
Posted 8 years ago. Direct link to Margaret's post “At 1:35, you mentioned th...”
At
1:35
, you mentioned that the Buddha is believed to be sponsored by the Empress Wu Zetian (武则天). She surely had a strong connection with Buddhism, but was it the only reason for her to be interested in sponsoring this particular Buddha sculpture?
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(3 votes)
Answer
- Jinrui Zhang
  Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to Jinrui Zhang's post “Hope it helps. There are ...”
  Hope it helps. There are multiple claims stating that Zetian is building the statues partly according to her own face. This is like some sign of giving her the legitimacy of rule in a male dominated society. Moreover, Zetian sponsored a great number of translation works of buddhist canons, supported the woodblock printing of some, which survived in a stupa in Kyoengju, S. Korea, and wrote a famous verse lauding the supremacy of buddhist teachings (开经偈), which is often recited prior to reading sutras by buddhists. The aforementioned legitimacy may, to some extent, come from her building her impression in the public as a buddhist empress.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (6 votes)
Erick253
Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to Erick253's post “Wait so are the Ajanta Ca...”
Wait so are the Ajanta Caves and The Longmen caves similar?
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(3 votes)
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Ray ahm
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to Ray ahm's post “I have never heard of the...”
I have never heard of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Was it a short dynasty or like an unpopular one?
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(2 votes)
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- drszucker
  Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to drszucker's post “The Northern Wei Dynasty ...”
  The Northern Wei Dynasty was more than a century long. It existed from 386 to 534/5.
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  (3 votes)
Residuum
Posted 6 years ago. Direct link to Residuum's post “If it is mostly filled wi...”
If it is mostly filled with Buddhist statues, why is it called The Longmen Grottoes?
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(1 vote)
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- Jocelyn Yen
  Posted 9 months ago. Direct link to Jocelyn Yen's post “Longmen is in romanized c...”
  Longmen is in romanized chinese; with long meaning dragon and men meaning gate.
  
  From wikipedia: The alternative name of "Dragon's Gate Grottoes" derives from the resemblance of the two hills that check the flow of the Yi River to the typical "Chinese gate towers" that once marked the entrance to Luoyang from the south.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (2 votes)
David Alexander
Posted 8 years ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “What happened to these ar...”
What happened to these artistic and religious treasures during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution operated by the Maoists in the 1960s and 70s? Were they neglected, protected or damaged?
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(1 vote)
Answer

Course: AP®︎/College Art History > Unit 10

Longmen Grottoes (UNESCO/NHK)

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