200 Yuan Longmen Grotto

The Longmen Grottoes near Luoyang were carved primarily during the Northern Wei and Tang dynasties, with the largest figures commissioned under Empress Wu Zetian in the late 7th century — her patronage so direct that the central Vairocana Buddha is traditionally said to bear her likeness. China's gold commemorative program of the early 2000s drew heavily on UNESCO World Heritage designations, and Longmen received that status in 2000, making this 2002 issue among the earliest struck in direct response to that recognition.