Yungang Grottoes



Located at the southern foot of Wuzhou Mountain some 16 km west of Datong City, Shanxi Province,
Yungang Grottoes were built against the mountain and extend about 1 km from east to west. In 2001
the site was listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site.

The three main sites in China that are famous for their stone sculpture are Dunhuang, Longmen and
Yungang. Among these, the Yungang grottoes are considered first among equals, for their tremendous
size, their ancient history, and their relatively complete state of preservation.

The construction of the caves was started under the auspices of the noted monk Tan Yao in 453 and
took 50 years to complete. Some 40,000 people, including the Buddhists from what is present Sri Lanka, contributed to the huge project.

The 53 grottoes in Yungang Grottos include some 1,000 niches with about 51,000 statues - a treasure-trove of cave art that combines traditional
Chinese art forms with foreign influence, particularly Greek and Indian. Sculptures here are noted for their vigorous features and rich variety that
range from the smallest, only 2 centimeters high, to the tallest – a Buddha 17-meters high. The tallest Buddha is surrounded by many small
Buddhas in Grotto No. 5, also called the Big Buddha's Cave.

Grottos No. 5-20 in the central zone are the most glorious part of the whole complex. Grotto No. 5 contains the biggest, seventeen meters tall,
Buddha sculpture, screened by a four-story wooden facade from the Qing Dynasty. Grotto No. 6 depicts the life of Sakyamuni, from the day of his
birth up to the time of his achieving Buddha-hood. Grottos No. 16-20 are the earliest of the Yungang Grottos. Sculptures inside these five caves
symbolize the five Northern Wei rulers.

In recent past ten or so years, the Datong municipal government has intensified its efforts to protect the
Yungang Grottoes. Huge investment has been made to get rid of illegal construction and to intensify
landscaping efforts at the site.