Comparable to the Mogao Caves in Gansu, China's only royal-built stone cave complex with a vast scale of over 50,000 statues.
As soon as you mention Chinese Buddhist caves, people usually immediately think of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang or Longmen Caves. However, there is actually a very large cave complex hidden in Datong, Shanxi, which is Yungang Grottoes.
Yungang Grottoes is located at the south slope of Mount Wu, about 16 kilometers west of Datong City, Shanxi Province. The entire grotto is carved along the mountain, with a total length of 1 kilometer. Currently, the remaining relics include 45 caves, 252 niches, and over 50,000 statues.
Thanks to this scale and its inclusion with Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Mogao Caves in Gansu, and Meiji Mountain Grottoes as China’s Four Great Caves, it was also selected into the World Heritage List by UNESCO. Moreover, due to its long history and abundant highlights, and because it is the only royal-built cave in China, Yungang Grottoes has a deep foundation and a huge scale, which resulted in its inclusion in the World Heritage List 19 years ago.
Although many travelers consider the Mogao Caves in Gansu to be the classic Buddhist cave, Yungang Grottoes is somewhat lacking in the exquisite beauty of the Mogao Caves, but the Buddhist art masterpieces from the 5th and 6th centuries here still make Yungang Grottoes famous worldwide, making it a leading figure among Buddhist caves in the world. Even globally, it is listed together with the Ajanta Caves in India and the Bamiyan Caves in Afghanistan as the World’s Three Great Stone Sculpture Treasures.
The construction of Yungang Grottoes began in the 460th year of the Northern Wei Dynasty and lasted for 60 years, forming the early cave scale. Then, during the Tang, Liao, and Jin dynasties, it was also an important development period for Yungang Grottoes. Even in the Ming Dynasty, the destruction of temples due to war turned them into ashes, but the caves still remained, and they were rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty.
Therefore, despite having experienced vicissitudes of life, Yungang Grottoes still stand tall. So, how can you discover the charm of Yungang Grottoes? As a classic Buddhist cave art from the Northern Wei period, the most exquisite caves in Yungang Grottoes are gathered here, which is the mid-term stone cave group we can see in the (in the) now. These caves are mainly concentrated in the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th caves, and the unfinished 3rd cave.
The relics in these stone cave groups, whether murals or statues, are all outstanding representatives of Yungang Grottoes. In these caves, we can see more patterns emphasizing the status of Shakyamuni Buddha and Maitreya Buddha; we can see complex groups of guardian deities, (skillful deities), and worshippers; and we can witness the majestic style (Huang Tai style), all of which allow us to appreciate the charm of Yungang Grottoes.
The slightly less exquisite mid-term stone cave group, which is the 16-20 caves within the (in the), can also bring you surprises. For example, the traditional Han Dynasty style combined with the essence of ancient Indian Gandhara art, making these statues look more exotic. The (key point) is to visit the Three Buddhas statues.
Compared to the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Yungang Grottoes are not too many in terms of highlights and tourists, but thanks to its unique stone sculpture art, it is still worth visiting.
