The Fengxian Temple is the crown of the Longmen Grottoes — an open-air complex cut into the cliff face at the widest part of the site, containing the largest and most accomplished sculptures in the entire ensemble. At its centre sits a Vairocana Buddha 17 metres high, flanked by two disciples, two bodhisattvas, two heavenly kings, and two guardian warriors in a complete sculptural programme of extraordinary range and sophistication. Commissioned by the Tang Empress Wu Zetian and completed in 672 CE, this is one of the supreme achievements of Tang Buddhist art.
The contrast within the composition is astonishing: the central Buddha radiates absolute calm, the bodhisattvas are gracious and gentle, and the guardian warriors at the outer edges are turbulent, almost violent, their armour twisted and their faces fierce. The whole sequence reads from serene centre to dynamic periphery like a diagram of the Buddhist cosmos. The scale is only fully comprehensible when you are standing at the base of the cliff: the Buddha's head alone is 4 metres tall, and looking up at the face from below gives the smile an expression of particular calm.