Work began on the caves in AD. 494 when an emperor of the Northern Wei moved the capital from what is now Datong (Shanxi Province) to Luoyang. The artistry is therefore an extension of that evident in the Buddhist caves at Yungang just outside the earlier capital. The work at Longmen proceeded through periods encompassing seven dynasties, and there are more than 1,300 caves, 40 small bas-relief pagodas, and almost 100,000 statues of Buddha ranging in size from 1 inch to 57 feet(17 meters). These caves and the stone sculptures therein rank with the caves at Yungang and Dunhuang as the greatest remaining masterpieces of Buddhist culture in China.

One of the special features of Longmen are the many inscribed stone tablets; there are more than 3,600 of these in the caves. They represent valuable material for archaeologists in their study of historical references, the way of life for the peoples, and the evolution of Chinese script. The caves, which were entirely hollowed out by man and have been in existence for more than 1,500 years, have suffered a great deal of deterioration from natural causes and through acts of vandalism, particularly by antiquarians collecting for museums and private collections before 1949. Many precious pieces were removed and are now on display at well-known museums around the world.