Longmen Grottoes
Wu Zetian became a very active supporter of Buddhism, Furthermore, she claimed to be an incarnation of Maitreya, writing a document called the "Great Cloud Sutra", which prophesied that a female emperor would eradicate illness, worry and disaster from the world. She sought the support of the Buddhist clergy to this end. In 673 Wu provided 20,000 cash for a gigantic statue of Maitreya at Longmen Grottoes. Unlike her predecessor's dynasty, Wu Zetian selected people in her government based on their skills, and not on their status. The Buddhist clergy created a document called "Commentary on the Meaning of the Prophecy about Shenhuang", which predicted a female Chakravartin who would rule the Jambudvipa as the reincarnation of Vimalaprabha. This document was presented to Wu Zetian two months before the proclamation of the Zhou Dynasty.