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The world-famous sculptures are located 12 km south of Luoyang at a point where the East Hill (Mount Xiangshan) and the West Hill (Mount Longmen) meet. The Yi River flows northward between them, giving them an appearance of gate towers.

They were sculpted around 493 AD when the capital of the northern Wei dynasty moved from Datong to Luoyang.

During the Zhou and Qin dynasties, it was called 'Yi Que' (Gate of Yi River). Later, when the Sui dynasty established its capital city in Luoyang, the palace gate faced the Yi Que, and was renamed as 'Longmen', which means 'Dragon Gate'.

Photo: NG HAN GUAN/AFP/Getty Images