Longmen Grottoes

What the Show Claims

• ›Ancient Aliens claims the Longmen Grottoes' extensive carved Buddha statues and chambers represent alien-assisted construction. The site's scale and artistic sophistication are presented as evidence of extraterrestrial influence on Chinese civilization.

What Archaeology Says

The Longmen Grottoes were carved into limestone cliffs from the 5th-8th centuries CE during the Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, and Tang dynasties. Archaeological evidence shows the grottoes were created through sustained Buddhist artistic and religious effort, with inscriptions documenting the construction process and patronage.